by A. Jane
Being the boss is hard work. You’re in charge of dealing with clients, crises, and employees. There’s not much you can do to control the people outside of your company, but if you can streamline the day-to-day of your employees, you can almost guarantee a more successful business. The easiest way to make sure your employees are successful, is to help them meet their deadlines.
Here are a few simple ways to set your employees up for success, and give yourself more time to be a boss, and not a micromanager:
Communicate.
The easiest, and most valuable step toward helping your employees meet their deadlines, is to communicate thoroughly, and thoughtfully. If you have a clear and concise deadline, with absolutely no wiggle room, tell them that up front. Giving vague deadlines of “some time in the near future” or “next week” leaves a lot of room for interpretation, and ultimately disappointment.
It is also imperative to make sure all of your employees hear your expectations from an official source. Whether you email a list of expectations and dates to the company, or hold a meeting is up to you. If you only communicate with a few people, and then rely on them to get your message across, you risk losing a lot in translation. So be direct with your employees, they’ll appreciate the direction, and be better prepared.
Visualize Missing Your Deadline.
It is always better to visualize success, but when it comes to meeting an important deadline, sometimes it is better to visualize failure. Explain to your employees what failure would look like, and what it would mean. If not pleasing a client means a decline in funds, fewer treats around the office, or possible job loss, be honest about it with your employees. This doesn’t mean you need to threaten, or scare anyone into doing what you want. It simply means that it’s okay to express the gravity of a situation to your employees so they have the motivation to complete everything on time.
Once everyone is aware of how important the task at hand is, help them to also realize that success is possible. Outline the steps they need to take to succeed, and remind them that you are confident in their abilities.
Break the Project Down.
Giving employees one huge task to complete can leave them feeling defeated before they even begin. Some things can often seem impossible when you approach them as a whole. By breaking big projects down into manageable pieces, it empowers your employees, and gives them the sense that each task is possible.
When the project is broken down into parts, you can assign smaller deadlines for each section. This helps your employees better manage their time, and work flow. You’ll be able to block off time for each section, and schedule time cushions, incase one section takes more, or less time than expected.
After each section is complete, communicate that information to your employees and your clients. Keeping your clients in the loop as progress is made on projects that concern them will bolster their confidence in your business. Your employees will appreciate hearing about their progress, and will feel empowered by the positive feedback to continue on.
Automate Your WorkFlow.
Whether you’re the boss of a big company, overseeing many employees, or you’re in charge of just a few people, there are bound to be a lot of irons in the fire. By investing in progression workflow software, you can streamline your working process, and eliminate the likelihood of missed deadlines. Automation software organizes data, tasks, and content, and eliminates the need for excessive administrative burdens. Your employees will be able to keep track of their work, and the work of others.
By giving your employees more control of their working process, they’ll be better able to see upcoming tasks, complete them and continue on without waiting for managers to give them the green light.
Automation is also a great way to prevent the loss of documents and data during a hectic process. By doing everything electronically, you’ll also save money on office supplies.
Give Positive Feedback.
It is very easy to forget to give positive feedback. When there is a tough deadline approaching, and tensions rise, it’s easy to find the flaws in someone’s work. Giving positive feedback reaffirms that your employees are valued parts of the company. When workers are rewarded and given positive feedback, they feel self-confident and are more willing to take on other responsibilities. Positive reinforcement also increases enthusiasm in the work place and a willingness to cooperate and accept change.
When you’re working with people, mistakes are bound to happen. By opening up the communication in your business, making the tasks manageable, and integrating workflow automation software into the mix, you can make sure your employees won’t miss anymore deadlines.
Author Jane is a freelance writer who loves to write about anything from tech to mommy stuff. Her day job as a business consultant keeps her busy, but she finds time to indulge in her favorite passion, writing.
