Staff or customers? This is definitely a tough question for business owners. Without staff you can't get as much done, without customers there's no point in getting stuff done.
The other day a local tourist destination said to me that their staff was more important than me - the customer. They didn't say it out loud or directly, but rather in actions. The 3 closest parking spots were all reserved for staff, directors. Customers need to park further away. We're obviously not as important in their mind. But without a customer, would they be a destination?
Showing posts with label staff. Show all posts
Showing posts with label staff. Show all posts
Public promises
I was in a restaurant in Belleville on Friday, and on my way to the washrooms, noticed the sign overhead, painted permanently right onto the wall, pointing the way to "Clean Washrooms".
As a customer, it was a great re-assurance that I was about to enter properly cared-for washrooms, with a permanent promise that no matter what time of day or week you went in, they were going to be clean (which they were).
As a business owner, I thought it was a great way to challenge yourself and your staff by forcing them now to deliver on a very public and permanent promise to your customers. How much of a difference do you think it makes to the staff in their care for and attention to the condition of the washrooms with that big sign overhead always promising that they will be "clean", as opposed to simply having a line in the staff manual or daily procedures checklist that the washrooms need to be kept clean?
Finding ways to publicize your business promises, so that you and your staff can see them as easily as your customers can, will help you ensure that they are top of mind, and therefore that you are constantly and continually delivering on them. What promises are you ready to post today?
As a customer, it was a great re-assurance that I was about to enter properly cared-for washrooms, with a permanent promise that no matter what time of day or week you went in, they were going to be clean (which they were).
As a business owner, I thought it was a great way to challenge yourself and your staff by forcing them now to deliver on a very public and permanent promise to your customers. How much of a difference do you think it makes to the staff in their care for and attention to the condition of the washrooms with that big sign overhead always promising that they will be "clean", as opposed to simply having a line in the staff manual or daily procedures checklist that the washrooms need to be kept clean?
Finding ways to publicize your business promises, so that you and your staff can see them as easily as your customers can, will help you ensure that they are top of mind, and therefore that you are constantly and continually delivering on them. What promises are you ready to post today?
The Power of Performance
In many businesses, as the year nears an end, it's performance review time. Review of the team, the business and you the owner. I just recently finished performance reviews for my staff and although I have done several of these over the years, I actually think I got more out of giving them than I ever did on the receiving end.
As I took time to reflect on the strengths and weaknesses (opportunities right?) of each person, I would analyze where those weaknesses derived from. Was it their actions that contributed to lack of results, or did it actually come down to mis-communication or mis-expectation on my part? More often than not, as I seriously thought this through I realized that it was that the full objective of the tasks wasn't disseminated down or that the bar that they would be measured against wasn't clear. I was often expecting them to be adaptable and resilient and remain on task, but in many cases I didn't provide the tools to do so.
The power of the performance review comes in the delivery sometimes not just in the receiving end. So make sure to take the time to do a thorough review, for your staff but also for your own learning.
As I took time to reflect on the strengths and weaknesses (opportunities right?) of each person, I would analyze where those weaknesses derived from. Was it their actions that contributed to lack of results, or did it actually come down to mis-communication or mis-expectation on my part? More often than not, as I seriously thought this through I realized that it was that the full objective of the tasks wasn't disseminated down or that the bar that they would be measured against wasn't clear. I was often expecting them to be adaptable and resilient and remain on task, but in many cases I didn't provide the tools to do so.
The power of the performance review comes in the delivery sometimes not just in the receiving end. So make sure to take the time to do a thorough review, for your staff but also for your own learning.
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