Build your people

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Two elderly successful business owners are sitting in a bar chatting about their business, work and the inevitable employee discussion opens. One gent offers...”You are always spending money on training and educating your staff, aren’t you afraid they will leave?” The other gent pauses, then looks at his colleague and states – “Well, honestly no. I am more concerned about not training and they stay!” The implication is clear. Trained, knowledgeable and effective people are your business’s best asset. Yes, I can imagine that statement will raise a few eyebrows, so, let me explain.

Where is the real value in your business?

Well trained people are a huge part of the formula. You can look back over centuries and reflect how nations, economies and society grew as humans embraced technology advances and harnessed it. There are many parts to that simplistic overview education, living standards and wealth are all a part of the mix. As are building those well-trained people into developing effectiveness, responsibility and pride in the work they perform. The true constant is change!

Let’s just focus on the positive attributes you can build or develop in your people.

This is my top 25 attributes of what good people bring to the table:

• Communication – Typically the number one skill is related to creative pursuits.
• Listener – Taking time to listen and understand the project will save rework.
• Organised – Never underestimate the benefits to all with an organiser on the team.
• Confidence – Self-faith, opens doors, builds intelligence when self-managed.
• Humble – An ability to be open to ideas will encourage team spirit.
• Self-motivation – One’s own enthusiasm, passion or interest, without needing pressure from others.
• Enthusiastic – A live wire, a sparkle in their eyes can build eagerness and enjoyment.
• Hard Working – Delivers energy, commitment and diligence to the process.
• Positivity – The capacity to overcome obstacles and have an optimistic view.
• Commitment – An intelligent stance that offers dedication without blind faith.
• Cooperation – Without it you will have little progress in most roles.
• Team spirit – Call it culture, camaraderie it is all about caring and working together.
• Self-managed – An ability to accept autonomy and control with capacity to deliver.
• Presentation – Relative appearance balance to the need – best dressed than worst.
• Problem Solving – A natural or trained gift to see issues as just a simple challenge.
• Pro-active ability – Anticipation rather than just responding to it after it has happened.
• Flexibility – The art of the diplomat – willingness to change or compromise.
• Integrity – The quality of being honest and having strong moral principles.
• Professionalism – Ensuring skill is balanced by competence of a high level.
• Creative thinking – Applies to design, the process and ability of lateral thinking.
• Goal-Oriented – Driven, the need to achieve and in a form relative to the project.
• Dependable – There is little that surpassed trustworthiness and reliability.
• Ambition – Drives expectations, promotes awareness while inspiring others.
• Intelligence – The ability to acquire and apply knowledge and skills.
• Passion – If you love what you do, you never work a day in your life.

Now, you may have other attributes and please add the key ones to your list.

Nevertheless, remember no one is perfect and we all have our own life experiences, therefore no one I have met to date possesses these qualities or features you may regard as a characteristic or inherent part of their makeup. However, if they can be taught, if are they willing you are on the right track. Your careful assessment will pay dividends if you back it up with education, training and support.

Outcomes rather than chaos?

In the world of ‘making stuff’ most people who chose this many disciplined sign and print industry have a creative focus. They absolutely love ‘making stuff’. The flip side is for many creatives is they are not so great at ‘managing stuff’. The real trick in employing ‘Creative Professionals’ is truly – the right person for the right role. The prudent business owner keeps a careful eye on the reality that chaos can slowly creep into your business or explode like fireworks simply by a subtle change of the mix between your clients, employee and culture. The manifestation is a ruined culture, unhappy staff or the multitude of countless problems like good clients leaving, good employees get demotivated and quitting, increasing spike in errors or any number of seemingly unstoppable issues. Here are some real case observations I have witnessed. An excellent business development manager will produce huge sales and new business, while a poor performer will bring in unsuitable projects, low margin projects, and potentially difficult or price driven clients. An excellent account manager will service the client proactively and deliver on their needs. While a bad one will not have any consideration as to the havoc created by not ensuring all the I’s are doted and the T’s are crossed in the production area. High level production staff will have large outputs of work while the same may be the case for low skill floor staff however they characteristically are the rework, timeline blowouts and low quality experts!

What is the take home?

Yes, it is back to human nature and gut instincts working on “People are your best asset” however if you choose the wrong person, or neglect the planning, investing and nurturing the consequences will be dire.

If you Think good employees are expensive? – then look at your bad ones – my observations and experience is higher salaries are typically balanced by better value and output.

Good employees stay when the company fulfils and inspires them – live, breathe and think the leader mantra! The company will create opportunities for them, and give them opportunities to grow. The company and owners respect them and support them. The employee can count on being treated fairly and is mentored. Together you build skills, tackle any problem, take risks and plan the future.

Remember – you can sit and enjoy the shade of a tree because someone planted it long ago!

Richard Branson has a wonderful saying along the lines of ‘hire the right person, pay them the right money, offer the right support and just let them do their job!”.