Books for Financial Freedom
Micromanaging: a winning strategy
You’ve heard people say it, ‘Don’t micromanage’. Everyone says not to micromanage but I’m telling you it’s a good thing. You’ve got everything riding on your new business being successful. Your new business is your new baby. You birthed it and know everything about your baby better than anyone. Your employees don’t know as much as you do about the business. Working to anticipate what they might do before they do it can keep you up most nights. When a business is new it tends to be most vulnerable. It can’t be left alone or unattended.
Stop worrying about your new business. Start micromanaging for success using these three techniques. They are easy to use and free. You can start right away. Micromanaging can help put your business over the top. It can streamline the path to success.
Get everyone in the same canoe and paddling in the same direction
Use SMART objectives to let everyone know what they must do and when it must be done. There is no longer any need to guess what should be happening or who should be doing it. Each person knows what they can do make the team successful. Everyone has their oar in the water and pulling in cadence. With SMART objectives, focus and achievement replace confusion and duplicated effort. You can develop SMART objectives with these 5 steps:
Everyone likes to feel like a winner. SMART Objectives define the finish line in the race for accomplishment. They motivate and empower your employees to go the extra mile. Crossing the finish line can be a powerfully energizing experience and a huge boost to self-esteem. People naturally gravitate toward something pleasant and fulfilling. Having experienced the exhilaration which accomplishment can bring, most people will want to experience it again. Success fosters more success. Meeting objectives as a great way to create the opportunity for your employees to succeed. To work effectively, objectives must be:
SMART objective example: John will reduce stocking time by 1 hour before the end of the month. Vague goal example: Reduce stocking time.
SMART objectives are more profitable and faster to achieve. Use them and you’ll worry less and the business will progress to meet your expectations.
Meetings keep everyone on track 
Staff meetings can be a powerful key to success. Short meetings with a simple agenda, distributed in advance, will help to keep everyone focused. Not more than 3 items on the agenda lets everyone be prepared for what will be discussed. Consensus and agreement generally flow from a discussing between well informed people with a common focus. Solicit agenda items from your employees and it will allow them to own the agenda. When your employees feel ownership in the agenda, they will be more motivated to achieve successful outcomes. Watch their participation in meetings and the outcomes improve as they begin owning the agenda.
It’s the chairperson’s job to bring a meeting to a successful close. Rotate the leadership for meetings among your employees. It will help your employees own the meetings and give you the opportunity to focus on their performance.
Open meetings, with a shared agenda, can transform your employees into your team. An open meeting the perfect time to report progress and acknowledge achievement. Prioritizing and re-prioritizing objectives during an open meeting gives everyone the information they need to better allocate resources. Provide an open forum and a relaxed environment. Plan to meet without interruption. Arrange to meet early in the week. Don’t meet on Friday. Keep your meetings short, less than one hour. Meet with predictable consistency.
You’ll no longer be surprised by events. At each meeting, have one employee share something praiseworthy about another employee. It may seem awkward at first but they’ll soon embrace it. Sharing praise increases employee communication, team building and creates a powerfully motivating reason to participate at meetings.
Micro-praise: the secret sauce
Micro-praise is the secret sauce for truly powerful micromanagement. Consistent, frequent doses can keep your team motivated. To be effective micro-praise must be brief, specific and spontaneous. The micro-praise lets them know you are monitoring them, appreciate their effort and acknowledging their contribution. Micro-praise works better than punishment. Employee recognition and improved profit go hand in hand. When your employees hear you say they’re doing a great job, their dopamine kicks in as they think, ‘YES, I’ve done it’!! A weekly helping of micro-praise can go a long way to improving performance. Here are some tips on giving micro-praise:
Find ways to praise all of your employees, not just the exceptional ones. Spread the wealth. Share the secret sauce with everyone. The exceptional ones will become extraordinary and everyone else will move closer to becoming exceptional. Acknowledging achievement is self-reinforcing and it’s free.
Be a micromanager
When your micromanaging, you’ll worry less with everyone in the same canoe and also paddling in the same direction. Frequent and predictable meetings will keep everyone on track. You and everyone else will no longer be surprised by events. Frequent micro-praise will help significantly improve performance and profits. Micromanaging is easy to do. You can start doing it now. You’ll be more successful and it’s free.
Micromanage your new business to success
Donald Bittar is an author, CFO, educator and entrepreneur. Donald’s full featured, interactive, digital business books have been used by thousands of students and business people.
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Image Credits:
http://www.blogging4jobs.com/hr/boss-micromanaging-virtual-team-guide/#vujY9OdWt8lWRQiO.97
http://www.itadgroup.com/softskills/prepare-and-manage-effective-business-meetings.html
http://www.inc.com/peter-economy/fire-em-up-5-ways-to-inspire-your-employees.html
http://www.davisenterprise.com