Listen to Howard talk about having the right employees doing the right things in your business:
Business is about people. It’s about employees. It’s about having the right people in the right place, at the right time. Do you have the right employees doing the right things in your business?
When you started your business, you hired employees and had a perception of what they needed to do. Everything was just fine. They were the perfect hires. Everyone did a great job. Each of your employees really understood what needed to be done.
But your business grew. Business conditions changed. The economy changed.
Now the question, as a CEO or business owner, you have to ask yourself is: Are my employees in the right positions and doing the right things? I’m not talking about terminating or firing anyone. Many times when you have a business you need to move people around to keep the company running at its best.
You need to think about:
– Is this the very best person for this particular job?
– Has the sales department grown with the needs of the company?
– Has the customer service department grown with the company and changing customer needs?
– How do I coach or train the employees to keep everyone up-to-date?
Business is fluid. It’s like the Mississippi River. Both are always running. You, your employees and your business cannot stay the same.
One of the things that happens along the Mississippi River is that the banks along the river are always changing. The river channels are changing. If someone isn’t familiar with the river then they could get themselves stuck on a sandbar. That’s why there are river pilots who know specific parts of the river. The river pilots know exactly what to do and how to navigate different parts of the river.
It’s no different with how to navigate your business to success.
– Do you know the specific parts of your business that make it work?
– Are you aware of what’s going on every day in your business?
– Are you aware of what needs to change?
– Do you ride with your salespeople for sales calls and account presentations?
– Do you stand side-by-side with your customer service reps?
As your business grows and changes, consider if you have the right employees doing the right things in your business.
– Is it time to promote someone?
– Is it time give others more responsibilities?
– Is it time to restructure who does what?
– Are all your employees growing with the company?
You may have to bring in a few new employees. Remember: when you do bring in new people, what you bring in is new energy. Always hire for attitude as well as skills and talents.
To know if you have the right employees doing the right things, or anything else in your business, do this every day: Sit down for 15 – 20 minutes every single day in a quiet spot and just write whatever comes to your mind about your business. If you do that, you’re going to uncover amazing things. 90% of what you write will be useless – but with the other 10% you’ll start to pay attention to what needs to change so your business keeps improving and growing.