Individual staff members are key resources for small business operators. Cultivating strong relationships with your employees and cultivating a positive company culture will help you maximize your business’ resources.

Create a Supportive Working Environment

Small business owners need each employee to be able to work with a fair amount of autonomy, but should also be prepared to offer their team members sufficient guidance. Training and instruction can lay the foundation for a supportive working environment, and you can reinforce it with individual coaching and counseling. Be ready to tell people how to correct problems with their performance.

Clarify Expectations

Let people know exactly what they need to do to meet or exceed expectations. People who are left to guess themselves about what a boss wants from them may simply conclude that they will always fall short of expectations and won’t try to meet specific benchmarks. You can’t rely on people to set their own standards, but you should consider getting their input in shaping standards. 

Seek Input From Your Staff

Get feedback from your staff about how their work is going, how well they are being supported, and what aspects of their job are problematic for them. People really appreciate knowing that their employer values their input. Moreover, drawing insights from the perspective of an employee could enhance individual and aggregate workplace efficiency. The people on the frontlines are going to be in the best position to identify issues with their workflow or the distribution of responsibility in different organizational roles. 

Be Flexible

While you need to be clear about what you expect from your staff, try to leave the logistics of accomplishing various functions up to them when possible. Flexibility can spare employees  from feeling as though you want to micromanage everything that they do. Stay engaged with people and request status updates as necessary, but give them the freedom to do their work in the way that they see fit. 

Consider Hybrid Workplace Advantages

Giving your team the freedom to work remotely some of the time could help to step up their work output. An employee who other team members exercise too much reliance on may find the opportunity to work independently represents a big boost for their productivity levels and job satisfaction.

Ultimately, investing in your workforce and assigning appropriate priority to the way that you manage your human resources could be integrally connected to your ability to achieve development goals. By keeping your personnel engaged and motivated, you will be better equipped for growth.