Business Advice For Women - How to Keep Your Staff Happy Without Compromising Yourself

Business advice specifically for women can be very hard to find. Women in business face different challenges to their male counterparts as we women approach business in a totally different way from men, and often for different reasons. One of the biggest headaches that business women can have is that of staffing issues.
You get the staff you deserve.This particular quote usually brings strong objections from my clients, but it is absolutely true! Listed below are some symptoms that business women have when dealing with staff.



There are also some remedies for you to try.



Mild Staffing Issues -



You approach each new workday with mild trepidation about what issues are going to arise. You find yourself "rolling your eyes" when issues raise their heads. The issues irritate you and are a distraction to running your business.



Moderate Staffing Issues -



As you arrive at work, you are wondering what horrible issues are going to arise today. You seem to spend a large part of your day dealing with petty issues and trying to keep everyone happy.



Serious Staffing Issues -



You find yourself lying awake at night worrying about staffing issues and how to deal with them without losing your staff. You can't understand how you have ended up in this situation. You thought that being the boss would empower you, not ruin your life!



What to Do:



Whatever stage of frustration you have reached, don't worry, you can solve it. The reason that many women find employing people so difficult is because of our nurturing natures and our need to be liked.



However, staff can sense this and WILL take advantage if you let them. So, some tips for getting back in control of your business:


When you initially employ people, MAKE SURE that you give them a written job description and a written set of your company "Do's and Don'ts".

Speak to individual staff when you first detect a problem, don't let it escalate.

If it is too late for that already, sit the staff member down and explain to them what behaviour is unacceptable and why and tell them that this conversation will be recorded on their personnel record (and record it!)

If a staff member will not co-operate with your way of doing things (and you are being reasonable!) then don't worry about letting them go.



Your business will thank you.

DO NOT try to "freeze" an employee out, in the hopes that they will quit because they hate work. That is called bullying and it is NOT an ethical way of doing business. Also, you can be sued for constructive dismissal.