Natural Entrepreneur: Inspire Your Employees

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Inspire Your Employees

Set reasonable and achievable goals

-- Ask SCORE c/o Dick Kuhl, Bedford, NH

Camaraderie and teamwork are the hallmarks of many small businesses. There is just something about being part of a small organization or a promising start-up that inspires people to jump in and give it their all. But how much are employees truly contributing to advancing the business?

Even the most loyal and capable employee may have trouble answering that question if his or her job description is vague or lacking in clearly defined goals and performance standards. That’s why it’s important for owners to work with each employee to set performance measures and discuss ways to enhance job performance.

Traditionally, people have worked according to job descriptions that list the job activities performed. For example, your job description for a credit manager may call for “supervising credit operations for the company.” But if there are realistic goals to go with it, that manager may produce more. One such goal might be to increase credit sales to support a 15 percent increase in overall sales within the next 12 months.

Your employees’ objectives should be put in writing as a reference document. Goals should be not only reasonable but also interrelated, with supporting objectives where needed. For instance, the goals might cover problem-solving, innovation and development. Goals accompanied by time frames, such as firm dates when projects are to be completed, are meaningful because they are measurable. You want to set your employees up to succeed, with no obvious barriers to performing well in their jobs.

Employees should have input into their goals. If they have a role in establishing their own long-range objectives, they have more commitment to achieving them. Be sure that such a program of goals and objectives also includes rewards. Employees should be able to see how they as well as the company benefit from their achievement as the company grows and becomes more profitable.

Dick Kuhl is a NH SCORE counselor for Chapter 199, Manchester / Nashua area. Local SCORE offices are available for walk-in or telephone questions but the more common methods of securing help from SCORE are E-mail counseling (via www.score.org) and traditional counseling. Six SCORE chapters provide the state of New Hampshire with traditional counseling: Manchester/Nashua, Concord, Lebanon, Keene, Portsmouth/ Seacoast and Lakes Area. Dick can be reached at (603) 666-7561.

Upcoming Events

Feb 21 (8-9:30a): NH Forum on the Future, NHHTC, CR Sparks, Bedford, NH

March 1 (6:30-8:30p): Women's Business Center and MicroCredit-NH Networking Event, Bank of America, Portsmouth, NH

March 6 (10a-noon): Growth Capital Resources in New Hampshire, City of Nashua, Office of Economic Development, Daniel Webster College, Nashua, NH

March 8: (12pm -1pm) Break the Rules and Close More Sales, Amoskeag Business Incubator, Manchester, NH

March 16: Peak Pitch (pitch your plan to invstors on the chairlift), Mt. Sunapee, NH ($)

March 22: Breaking Trends in Web Develoment, UVCIA, Hanover, NH ($)

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