Resignation letter! Again Letter of Resignation! I hate the letters of resignation from my employees. It's not often. But when it happens, inevitably I get annoyed, because usually suddenly. Especially if it happens when we are facing the deadline of several projects. Suddenly one of the team members resigned. Obviously the performance of our team will be affected. To find a real substitute is easy. Because the number of job seekers in the IT sector quite a lot. However, I have to re-invest time and energy to train new employees to master our products. Not yet the time it takes to introduce new employees to teams from our clients. The immediate impact is our performance to complete the scheduled project. But this is his art of managing the business. Even though I do not like it, I have to live.
The fate that I experienced was also experienced by the character Marcus in the book "The Ship Builder" by Jack Myrick. Marcus was a shipbuilder in Athens, 2,500 years ago. He is a business owner and a hard worker who oversees a dozen employees. However, hard work is not enough. Marcus's efforts were almost shaken, as they could hardly meet the deadline delivery of ships that his customers ordered. The reason is because the employees who have almost no spirit. The number continues to decline, to stay some people, and even then with insufficient skills. And Marcus was trying to provide good facilities. But why employees do not want to work in accordance with his wishes. If Marcus fails to complete his ship building project, what does the world say? This sounds familiar to my ears.
Luckily Marcus met with Barnabas, the most successful shipbuilder in Athens at the time. Luckily Marcus is not ashamed to ask. And Barnabas wisely shared his knowledge. Which turned out he got from five pieces of slate (tablet) which contains the secret of success in building his business empire ship. I know, surely you also want to know his secret right? Okay, here it is:
When did you last actually state that you value your employees? I mean expressing directly, face to face. I re-remember, it turns out I rarely express my appreciation to my team. This is what I need to correct. Usually we only give assignments and orders. But forgot to give appreciation for what the employees have done for our efforts. Yet how much effort they have a little to contribute to the business we manage.
Our ancient parents actually gave many examples, always saying "help" when giving assignments, and saying "thank you" when the task is done. It's good that this simple thing will apply to my team.
This is difficult. As entrepreneurs we want instant. I want to have a ready-made employee ready to work. If during the performance work is not in accordance with expectations yes love warning letters, if necessary removed, replace the better. Though it turns out a gem can come from a stone that we thought a regular stone. If we dwell on the mistakes and ugliness of our employees, the potential might never actually be seen.
I've been through this. One of the members of my team, when I just joined his performance really far below my expectations. His knowledge of both the product and the general knowledge of IT is very minimal. I intend to stop it after the trial period is over. Apparently, when the trial period is almost complete, I see the other side of my team before, namely persistence and persistence is pretty good. Finally I defend and he is getting more and more advanced.
Authority is different from power. With power, we can order our employees to do what we ask. And if we do not implement sanctions. However, it is precisely the art of being, how to get employees to do what we want voluntarily, without us having to command, that is authority.
Authority comes from our integrity as owners. If our words can be held. If we can give an example to our employees that we do what we say. If we can "walk the talk", then the authority will be ours. Power can come and go, but authority will be attached to the person.
Of course we want to be loved by employees. But the love of our employees can not be bought. They will just love us, when we love them first. And love is a verb, just perceived by employees, by our actions. Love here means how we treat our employees with respect, affection and compassion. Of course it means to all employees, not certain employees only.
Maybe your business has a tremendous vision. Perhaps you aspire to build a global conglomerate. Perhaps you believe one day your efforts will be number one in Asia. However, what is the use of these ideals for our employees, if they do not feel part of the big ideals earlier.
This is where the challenge to always understand what our employees dream, and to link the company's dream with their dreams. When the company dream is the employee's dream, then progress is on hand. So this last principle by Myrick is called the "unifying principle".
Ah, may I be able to carry out these five powerful principles, so that my team will progress and no more Resignation Letter stop by my desk.
