A new month, new Bespoke HR theme!
This month we’re running Business Bootcamp. This is a series that will uncover some of the ‘makes’ and ‘breaks’ of running a business.
Although we are a HR and recruiting business, we have spent decades working with small and medium businesses, and have become attuned to the nuances, challenges and opportunities that come with being a business owner.
Are you at the start of your business journey and need some tips? Or are you well seasoned and can you nod along with the following points, with familiar (and sometimes humorous) assurance?
Here are a few things they don’t tell you about running a business and managing a team…
You’ve heard it all before.
‘The Promise’.
The “work your own hours on your passion”, “you determine how you work”, “make more money in your sleep”, “delegate, delegate, delegate”, “have your business work for you, not the other way around”.
But… the reality is you will work double the hours and twice as hard when it’s your own business. It will be hard. It can be stressful and it can come with timeless unknowns.
However, the satisfaction of running your own business can be immensely rewarding.
Being a leader can be a difficult gig. You will continuously have competing requirements, agendas, tasks and projects, as well as the job of maintaining harmony across your team.
You will come across a wide range of personalities in various settings and have a range of problems and stresses to deal with on a daily basis.
Through this, although your intentions may be in the right place, and you are making decisions with the most careful of considerations, there will be days where you will be looked upon unfavourably.
This is one of the toughest things about leadership, and you will need to be prepared for having a thick skin, nerves of steel and resilience beyond measure.
As a business owner, especially if you are on the frontline — your tone, actions, attitudes and behaviours will be directly reflected in your staff.
Anything that is role-modelled by you will be a permission slip for your team to do the same.
This can work against you, or in your favour. ‘Leading by example’ is the ultimate way to demonstrate the behaviours you want to see in your team.
One of the most frustrating things about being a business owner is that there will always be someone ‘down and out’ on your team.
From sickness, to holidays, to compassionate grounds, running a team means having a level of flexibility to ‘roll with the punches’ of life getting in the way of your rosters.
Although you will have legitimate people on your team that will need time off for legitimate reasons, take note of those who may be maximising or over-exerting their leave entitlements.
This can actually be an early indication of disengagement or a lack of connection to their work. It may be an opportunity to discuss how they can become more connected with the workplace and how work-life balance can be achieved.
If someone is disengaged, doesn’t want to be there or is not enjoying their work, it has a potent effect on the rest of your business.
If an employee is on your team and has a sense of resentment or disgruntlement, you can expect that will spread like wildfire through your team, and can be poisonous to the culture of your workplace.
It’s important to address these outliers quickly and diligently and support them in moving on from your business before they cause too much damage.
Often if you can help them to identify themselves they’re not happy, they will move on, on their own accord. Your job is not to try and fix their unhappiness, but to make their transition as smooth and supportive as possible.
Want to learn more about our in-person training sessions and personalised workshops for your business?
Bespoke HR offer tailored packages with one of our senior consultants that are designed with your business and people concerns in mind. Email support@bespokehr.com.au to find out more or learn more about our training programs available here.
created with