Empower Your Employees
TheVoiceNewsletter.com Common sense from a common man. Issue 806b Copyright 2006 by Steve T. Carper
Inform (Empower) Your Employees but Teach Your Employees Not to Empower Others Part Two
In Part One we explored the Why’s of the importance of retaining information—once we release information we just empower others, rather than retaining the information that empowers us. Now comes Part Two and it is inherently important that you, being the manager of people, know that there are situations where you must impart information—in the form of knowledge—that will benefit not only your business but your employee’s attitudes.
The Why’s of When to Empower Your Employees
Every business has leaks in the dikes, the dam, the canal of cash flow that allows that business to survive. Plugging these leaks requires a system, a method, a joined principle of thought and a constant effort on management’s part. One way to do this is to: 1. Educate your employees on the cost of running your business and 2. Continue to emphasize the importance of teamwork, the continued focus on efficiency, and reinforce 3. The underlying responsibility of all employees to concentrate on keeping the doors of the business open; every employees’ income directly correlates to this reality. Ingraining this train of thought requires constant management pressure (teach, teach, teach the principles of teamwork, efficiency and professionalism).
Let’s discuss the importance of educating your employees on the cost of running your business:
One of the severe problems of managers today is getting their employees to relate to the needs of the manager. A good manager finds common ground so that her points can be easily conveyed and understood thoroughly.
Every employee, just like you, has cash flow problems: this is the main driver of bad attitudes and the proverbial “me, me, me” mantra that you find yourself fighting constantly in your employees’ train of thought.
Use this to your advantage.
Connect with your staff by comparing the costs of your business’ “life” with their own cost of living. Let’s say your business is a small restaurant. Start with bills that they also pay every month so that they can easily relate to your expenses: · Do they know your water bill can approach (or go over) 4 digits in a single month? · Let them know your gas and electric cost (power). · Is your property leased? If not, what is your mortgage? Won’t your employees relate to the costs of rent? · Let them compare your cost of trash removal with their own.
Would it benefit you to let your workers know how much money is spent on meat you purchase, monthly? Do they know what you spend in canned goods monthly? What about dry goods? How about your produce bill? Dairy? Do they know the cost of a single wrapped patty of butter they so easily throw into a bus tub? Your employees know the cost of groceries that it takes to feed their families every month, so wouldn’t they relate to the same costs in your business?
Floor your employees by telling them what it costs monthly just to stock your bathrooms with paper goods and soap.
Inform them of the total cost of payroll; weekly, then monthly and finally yearly (don’t forget to add in benefits you provide).
Do they know what it costs the business to contribute to the payroll income taxes?
Do your employees have a clue as to what janitorial costs are, total? They need to know.
What are your parking lot maintenance costs? The cost of maintaining your building? Landscape maintenance?
Most restaurants are required to install large grease traps that must be pumped out monthly. Would it be beneficial to share this cost with your employees? Do they even know you have a grease trap that needs to be maintained?
One of the large checks you write every month is for your liability insurance. Let your workers compare this “must-have” with their own required insurance costs (like auto insurance).
What about your “smaller” costs like guest cheques and all paper products needed in your business? Ink cartridges for your registers and register maintenance? To-go containers and that nice heavy sack to carry them in? How about your monthly cost in bar supplies?
Maybe your angle might be as simple as revealing your cost in the myriad of different light bulbs your establishment requires you to have on hand every month, and the restocking of. Could this help shine a light on the importance of conservation?
Would your dishwashers treat your equipment and serving-ware better if they knew the capital outlay of that equipment?
We could go on and on about your monthly expenditures and the possibilities of sharing each of them with your employees as your list is much longer, but I think you get the picture.
It is up to you to decide which costs you have that you would like to communicate to your employees in trying to empower them, but choose wisely: your main goal is to imprint on them the importance of keeping the doors to your business open.
In trying to stretch their own household budgets most of your employees conserve greatly at home; by explaining your costs you can easily convince them the need to conserve while working in your business.
May you prosper in your family, your friends, and your finances.
Steve T. Carper Servant of the Food and Beverage Industry Anti-Socialist/ Pro-Capitalist Powered By Qumana |
posted by Carps at 9:49 AM
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