Building a Great Home Business Organization! How to Attract the People You Really Want!
The key factor in any successful company is finding great people who enjoy what they do. As leaders we can create dynamic energizing environments or dull dreary factories. I bet you could guess which produces a better experience for all involved! We all have had jobs we did not like and certainly did business with a company that provided a terrible customer experience. We want to focus on the great feelings certain stores or jobs have given us and write it down.
Here are some ideas:
I really like Apple and have had great experiences with those products and in store experiences. Everyone seems very knowledgeable and genuinely wants to help me.
There is a local grocery store that still cuts and packs meat to order, they always make me feel like nothing is too much to ask. They readily answer my technical questions about a particular cut with suggestions on preparation.
I am an avid baker and order from a particular mill on a regular basis. Recently I ordered a bread keeper and it arrived broken, when I called to replace it the extremely nice employee told me just to keep the broken one and they would send out the new one that day. They did just that and later I found out that the company is employee owned. Concern for my long-term business came through strong!
All of these had nothing to do with price or convenience, in fact I have to go out of my way to purchase from them and none of them are the cheapest for their product line! The enhanced value of their products was added by the employee attitude. The product, of course had to be good, but the way they make people feel overcame any other obstacle to doing business with them. These types of attitudes come from people that are happy and they enjoy what they do!
So how do we find such people? Or possibly how do we create this kind of atmosphere within our small business? Well once again the answer is found in our own backyard. Please get out your pen and paper again remember it will save you thousands of dollars!
Write a list of why people like you and would enjoy working with you:
Generally I am a happy person, I wake up with a smile on my face and I have energy to meet all challenges.
I try to understand where people are coming from in terms of their opinion and value what they see when taking on problems.
I care about their success and advancement.
I am technically sound and understand my business.
I check my ego at the door so I do not need to win!
Now make a list of why people would not want to be in business with you (these should be only temporary):
In my type A personality I still struggle with being impatient with some who develop ideas slower than myself. Often I have prejudged their idea and it actually is better than mine but I miss it due to this impatient attitude.
The mundane things that must be done in order to run a successful business are still a challenge to me. I must force myself to do those things sometimes and this is poor leadership.
In my younger days I knew everything there was to know, this still creeps back up once in a while.
The answer to balancing these good and poor traits is found most often in a strong mentor and open, honest relationships. Be committed to personal development and you will move past your negatives and keep balance in your great attributes.
Here is a great principle to build your business with:
I have directed you to do as I have done. This is leadership and culture creation all rolled up into one.
Identify your own strengths and weaknesses then implement a plan to be the best you can be. You will build a team much like yourself, not like the book you just read. I only have to look at my children to see that, in spite of all my efforts, I rub off on them, good or bad!
So building the great organization starts with your leadership and self-examination. To this you will add structure, sound work principles and most of all, years of experience that are shared for the advancement of all team members. Remember check your EGO at the door, people will be drawn to your honest sincere approach!