Posts Tagged ‘Employees’

photo credit: doug.siefken

It is always difficult to have to let go of an employee. Even when the employee has not exactly been a “good fit” for the company, it is still not a task that anyone truly looks forward to doing. So how does a manager go about making this task not only easier for them but for the employee as well? Here are some tips that I recently read about on Entrepreneur.com to help you through this difficult task.

• Always make sure to think about your future when firing an employee, this will keep your mind on a more sensitive mind set and should keep you from causing any damage through the words that you speak. Remember that that the employee might be a future client of yours or may be in a position to spread negative information if pushed too hard.
• Make sure that before the final termination is made that you have reviewed the situation and have all necessary paperwork in order. No company should be firing anyone without proper documentation to back up the fact that this is the only and last option for this employee.

Recognize lessons learned. Although the company may think it handled a particular termination well, employee sentiment may not line up with the employer’s perception. It is important to talk to employees and supervisors left behind to ascertain their thoughts and feelings about how the company handled the departure keeping in mind confidentiality issues relating to the termination.

From Business Opportunities Weblog.

photo credit: arquera

More often than not our days are hectic, stressful, and complicated when they don’t need to be, and we are usually the cause of it. Here are two very simple steps I recently read about on Harvard Business in making your day simpler.

Start with your own actions and behavior. Think about all of the times you have sat through a meeting that was boring, took too long on one single issue, didn’t have important issues brought up, and more. Yet most of the time we don’t give any sort of feedback, advice, or voice our opinions on the matter, so it continues and sometimes gets worse.

Start putting in your two cents and advice, the problem can never be fixed if no one is publicly aware of the problem. Get others involved in your new actions and way of thinking. Encourage your co-workers and fellow employees to stand up and start giving their feedback. Help everyone get in the habit of working as a team and finding solutions to problems and concerns that are often easily fixed.

Encourage other people to experiment along with you, and to share what works and what does not. Look together at processes that cut across your functions, and how you might streamline hand offs and interactions. Talk about issues that you can’t tackle alone, but might be opportunities for group problem-solving.

From Business Opportunities Weblog.

 
photo credit: antjeverena

In today’s world of technology, booming Internet applications, and businesses, many online business owners are going out and finding themselves a VA (Virtual Assistant). There are many different aspects to having a VA versus a regular assistant. Open Forum recently listed some thing’s to remember when working with your VA.

• You may never even meet your VA in person even if they have been working with you for 10 years or more. Most, if not all, of your communication will be online or via telephone and faxes.
• Always remember the geography aspect, meaning that they live in a different state than you. Make sure that you are familiar with their laws and regulations as well as they are familiar with the ones residing in your state.
• Always make sure you are providing specific details of instructions on what you want them to do and what you do not want them to do. Since there are time zone aspects and the fact they are not sitting 5 feet from your office, you’ll want to make sure they are clear from the get go on what to do.
• Ask them for progress reports. Lets say that a project you give is going to take them 3 day’s. You could have them report back to you the morning of the second day to let you know what their progress is on that project, that way you know for sure they are on track.

The first month you work with your virtual assistant, it might actually take you more time to accomplish the task. By the time you write up instructions, vet candidates, get used to working with the remote employee, send back work with more instructions, and spend your time fixing mistakes in the final product, it might take considerably more time than if you had done the task yourself.

From Business Opportunities Weblog.