Inside Small Business | Small Business & Home Business Marketing

I think my employees see me as a buddy rather than a boss. Is that a bad thing?

Being a buddy not a boss with your employees is not a good idea. It inhibits you from making tough decisions and exercising your legitimate authority to get things done. Sooner or later you will find yourself in the position of having to make a decision that your employees do not like or need to provide them with some tough feedback on the quality of their work. If your relationship with them is that of a buddy you may find yourself backing off because you know they will not like it. That is not to say that you can’t be friendly and pleasant in your interactions with your employees – in fact you should be, however you should create some distance between you and your employees which so that you can take managerial action when you need to. A way of changing the nature of your relationship with them is to change your interactions with them. Keep some distance between you both at work and socially. Treat people fairly and consistently but make sure that they know what you expect of them. Become a leader! In the long run your employees with thank for it because everyone appreciates good leadership.

Related Topics: Boardroom, Entrepreneurial, Human Resources    No Comments    

Is it necessary to have an employee handbook even if I only have a few employees?

Many small companies do not have an employee handbook (and there is no legal requirement to have one), however having one in place can make life easier and save you money in the long run (two great incentives!). A small company that I know that did not have a hand book ended up paying significantly more than they needed to for employee benefits because they did not have clear policies and procedures in place. According to Tom Ehrenfeld, an employee handbook should be easy to read and do the following things:
· Communicate indispensable company policies and practices;
· Make explicit the mutual agreements between employees and employer without being an actual contract;
· State and express a company’s philosophy;
· Excite and motivate an employee about his or her job; and
· Convey a broader sense of the company mission.

Here are several of the items that a typical employee handbook will include:
· Mission Statement/Company Philosophy
· Work Environment
· Compensation & Benefits
· Employee Conduct
· Organization Chart
· Legal Requirements
· Staff Development
· Discipline and Termination
· Grievance Procedures
· Safety and Security procedures and policies
· Confidentiality Clause

Related Topics: Boardroom, Human Resources    No Comments