How Does a Manager Gain Control of His Employees?
If a manager at your small business loses control of his employees, either because they don't respect his authority or don't have proper guidance, steps need to be taken to immediately rectify the situation. Otherwise, your business will suffer from poor performance and eroding morale. Have the manager gain control of the situation by setting specific expectations, defining boundaries and providing constructive feedback. Employees who refuse to work within defined parameters should be reprimanded in such a way that others see the value in following policies and procedures.
You can gain the respect and attention of your staff by involving employees in creating specific goals and objectives for your business. This might include developing project plans, creating workflow charts and forming work groups. When you make expectations clear and give employees specific, measurable guidelines to work within and deadlines to meet, you should see better performance results.
Hold frequent individual meetings with employees, especially those who are having problems following directives. Develop individual professional development plans with employees and track their progress in key areas. Conduct performance reviews and provide constructive criticism and feedback to help them improve performance. If employees resist coaching or continue refuse to take direction, consider probationary status until performance improves.
When employees have specific, pre-defined responsibilities to meet, hold them accountable for their action or inaction. If a deadline or quota is not met, if an employee does not work prescribed hours, or if performance standards are not up to par, confront the employee in a professional manner. Give employees timetables for changing their approaches and follow through on ultimatums, such as demotion, suspension or termination.
Show respect and appreciation for employees who exceed expectations. Publicly acknowledge staffers who go the extra mile, complete projects on schedule and contribute to the overall health and prosperity of the company. Give these top workers the opportunity to take on additional responsibilities and advance through the ranks. This will set an example for other employees that hard work and dedication is recognized and rewarded.
If your manager or managers can’t gain control of your employees and your staff is not functioning as a productive unit, it might be time to eliminate problem employees through termination. Interview, hire and train appropriate replacements before firing problem staffers so you have limited lost productivity during the staff change. Make sure new employees are qualified, well-trained and understand your expectations before starting work.