What makes you a good leader?

If you own a small business, inn, or B&B you know how valuable those gem employees are to both your sanity and your bottom line. Employees interact with your customer. They’re representing your business, your brand, your identity.

In this day where there are so many demands for quality employees and so much demand on their time, it pays to make sure you’re worthy of the #1 Boss pin!

Here are three tips to being a stellar boss that your employees will love to work for.

1. Smile & Greet Employees Kindly When They Come  to Work

   Yes, you’re the boss and most likely have a load of stresses on your shoulders. This comes with the territory.

   But remember, your employees have “life” too. You don’t know what happens when they’re not at work, but you DO know that you want them to be top performers with your customers.

   You want to set the tone in your business that reflects how you want your employees to interact with one another and with your customer.

   People learn by EXAMPLE, not just your Policy and Procedures manual! It works with kids. It works with adults. Model the behavior you want to see.

2. Spend Time with Your Employee

   I’m not talking “hang out at the bar”; I’m talking productive  meetings and evaluations. You’re the leader so you set expectation, pace, and tone as the professional.

   There’s no better way to communicate that you expect and support both growth and performance than having a regularly scheduled time to meet.

   Group staff meetings are vital and so is Individual Evaluation/Meet time.

   How often should you meet one on one?

   This depends on your on-boarding process for new hires. Monthly meetings work well, especially in the beginning. You want your new employees to feel supported and heard during what can be an overwhelming learning period. Depending on the job and your new hire’s previous experience it might feel to them that they are trying to drink out of the fire hose! If your new employee has experience it’s just as important to meet with them so that they understand your businesses goals, culture, and expectations. Don’t assume.

   It might seem like a lot of time, meeting with each employee, but it will pay off in spades! It’s well worth your time. You’ll be in touch with performance and your employee will feel valued and heard. It can actually SAVE you time.

   What takes longer, advertising, hiring, and training (while you still have your work load), or a 20 minute monthly meeting?

   To help you on this front, you can download my guide here. Feel free to use it as a jumping off point and tailor to your own needs.

   Set aside time to meet individually.

3. Understand that People Feel Valued in Different Ways

   This speaks directly to Love Languages, or more appropriate to the workplace, Languages of Appreciation.

   The way that you feel valued is often the way you communicate to others that you value them. For example, my husbands primary love language is Quality Time. If I’m trying to communicate to him that I love him by giving him gifts I’m missing the mark!

   Mix it up! Hit each one of these languages of appreciation:

   Words of Affirmation:
   Build someone up during a staff meeting and in the employee evaluation time. Write it down for even more impact!

   Quality Time:
   Do you see how a monthly or regularly scheduled employee evaluation meeting time hits this right on the money?

   Gifts:
   It can be simple! A candy bar, some B&B swag with personal monogramming, or tickets to a local museum.

   Acts of Service:
   This is doing something for the other person. Lend a hand. Help with a task they’re doing.

   Touch:
   Keep it pg and non threatening – shoulder and forearm. Be careful with this one; you don’t know someone’s history. It’s actually great to put into your employee evaluation the question: “How do you like to receive accolades?” and list these five traits. Pick up the book from the link above and learn how to communicate this one appropriately.
   Express gratitude in a way they communicate intrinsically.

   Disclosure: I am a PROUD affiliate of Bookshop.org where a portion of your purchase goes directly to our local independent bookstore! Also, I will earn a small commission. Click through to support small business. Whoot!

Do you want to:
join the movement to create excellent customer experiences?
connect people to people?
help small businesses thrive?

Yes? GREAT! Then please share this post with a friend and sign up for the newsletter by clicking this link. 

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