Workers in warfare

Is your company a place for arguments and stand-offs? Then it’s time to turn it round by taking this advice ...

Date: 1957. Place: A village in Cheshire Scene: Seven year old boy is trying to master riding a two-wheeler on friend's back lawn.

Dad: "You pedal and I'll hold on to your saddle to make sure you don't fall off".

Boy:"I'll be alright".

He pedals onwards. "Dad, you can let go now." No response. "Dad?"

Voice comes from other end of garden. "I've let go, you're on your own now".

Boy panics and careers into greenery.

Schoolmates laugh, boy goes crimson. Boy gets back on bike, wobbles a bit, but stays upright, thereby saving face.

So why am I telling this story?

Many installers used to work for other, larger installer companies before setting up their own businesses. In the analogy above, they were riding three-wheelers before jumping onto the bicycle. With a bicycle, you have to keep going otherwise you fall off – at least with a tricycle you have a degree of security (excusing the pun) that comes with the third wheel, even if your street-cred is very much at pavement level.

So, our installer starts riding his own bicycle – very possibly selling and installing on his own before realising that a heart attack will ensue if he carries on this way, and that this is unlikely to be the most productive way to carry on. He now has to call on new skills, ones that he may or may not have. These new skills are called "man-management" and "leadership".

Management – Where do I start?

In many cases these are entirely new to our installer, so what should he do? Does he start reading some of the hundreds of books on these subjects that are available to him? Does he go away on a management course? From what I know (and please mail Security Installer if I've misunderstood you all these years) the answer to both of these questions must generally be "No". He has done neither of these things.

On the basis that a well-managed company is usually a calm, organised environment, I arrived at my conclusion as a result of witnessing barely-disguised warfare in some companies – shouting, stand-offs, demotivated staff, stress, job insecurity, a lack of training – and precious little shared information about the running of the business, to make everyone's job easier and more profitable.

Don’t tell staff you have an ‘open door’ policy when that door isalways shut ...

I can only report as I find ...

But I have also met some truly golden individuals who have taken the time to put management skills into effect and structure their businesses so that they can make the most of the accumulated talents ... so that they can take their employees with them on the big journey through business life.

This is where you might be missing out, because they will be taking business off you.

The name Ken Blanchard may not be instantly familiar to many of you, but he has maintained an output of at least a book a year over the last 25 years on all aspects of management – many under the ‘One Minute Manager’ brand.

Customers as your sales force!

Ken doesn't invent management techniques, merely presents them in lucid and well-thought-out scenarios which are easy to take on board and – most importantly – easy for any business to implement. I freely acknowledge a debt to him for his many words of wisdom and common sense. If you can bring yourself to take me up on this offer, you could do a lot worse that to take some of these (and the many other available short books) into a quiet corner, and think long and hard about how you could put proven, real-world advice into practice.

This could then help build up your company into that irresistible model of success. This is when your customers are working in your interests and can even be regarded as being a part of your sales force, where there is great internal morale and performance from your employees, and where there is the satisfaction of profit. And sustainable profit can only ever be realised if you look after your customers and have productive, motivated people working with you.

All the great truths are simple truths.

Now for the exciting bit – and doubly exciting, because it's not complicated, just common sense. This is where you wear the mantle of the leader to achieve this ideal, bearing in mind that "leadership is not something you do to people, it's something you do with people". In this context the "leader" can be the owner/MD of an installation company or, equally well, anyone in a management/supervisory position. The same principles apply throughout the business.

Personal Integrity: Any survey will show clearly that the most important thing that people want from a leader, is integrity – creating a set of working values and being true to them. This is the basis of trust and respect. Don't say that you have an open door policy when the door is shut. Make sure that what you say and what you do, are one and the same.

Respect the opinions of others, and encourage everyone to have an opinion.

Ask your team to write down what they do and don't like about working at your company. You need to know what isn't working. Once you can share your deficiencies as well as your strengths, you can find ways to improve.

You should find that everyone is working as a team, listening to others and taking the initiative.

‘Under performers’ can still do a good job for the team ... they just need to be re-directed

Partnership: Everyone is in the business together. Many employees only ever seem to see "the boss" when something has gone wrong. Having the right quality of relationship with your staff, is paramount for a leader.

The whole is always greater than the sum of the parts – look at any successful team.

Discuss the big company picture with your team. Try financial forecasts. Why treat operational information as top secret? You can't work in partnership with your team if you do. For example, let them see that overdue accounts have a detrimental effect on cash-flow and profit, which can inhibit investment and pay increases, which in turn inhibit company progress. Financial statements aren't rocket-science. Anyone who can do a household budget, can understand one

Dedicate one day (or part of a day, depending on your staff numbers) per week to short, individual coaching sessions and to listen to your staff. It's not personal evaluation time, it's a partnership process to help everyone be winners. When your staff see that there's no punishment associated with the meetings, they will trust the process. This will be productive time for everyone. As you get to know your staff, it will become apparent how you should best utilise what they have to offer. New career paths can develop, and management potential can be realised. This approach has a knock-on effect throughout the company. A mentoring system for new employees, helps them to become effective team-members sooner.

Gratitude and Support: Saying "thank you" sounds easy. The problem is that people either say it too often, or not at all. Any form of praise should be related to a particular situation, given as soon as possible after the event, – and most importantly you should mean it when you say it. Support should be seen to be there at all times. An open working environment will automatically promote this. People like to be appreciated, when someone takes the trouble to thank them. Appreciated, motivated employees are part of the irresistible model of success mentioned earlier.

Implement team and individual prize and recognition schemes. Try an away-day at the races, concessionary gym memberships or "this month's winner" certificates on the notice-board. However you do it, it's compelling - and it's part of human nature to want to be successful, and be seen to be successful.

Flexible working arrangements

Any under-performers are still able to do a good job for the team, but they may need redirecting to work which may better reflect their skills ... and, of course, you can employ the mentoring system already mentioned.

The spirit of support can go much further – flexible working arrangements, job shares, working from home etc. Consideration for individuals' circumstances will reap dividends in terms of commitment.

Creating an open working environment is supremely important in any venture. Not everyone is Superman, and some need telling the same thing more than once. But if people know that the environment they work in encourages learning, and discussion without judgement and recrimination, this not only helps people to develop, but enables the leaders to get a full picture of those whom they work with.

In the overall model of a successful business, I have focused on some of the "people" parts.

People are the face of your business. You know from your experience of life, that some faces reflect it better than others. You will want your staff and colleagues to look and act as good representatives in front of your customers and prospective customers.

Next time, I shall look at "keeping the customer satisfied"... part of the model.