Do you value your staff? There would be few business owners who would answer ‘no’, but their actions don’t always match their words. Although it may sound like an overused ‘sentiment’, the key to high performance and high retention rates is to make your staff feel valued and trusted. This means supporting their development, creating an environment that enables them to get the job done effectively, and providing opportunities for staff to use their talents. Without those factors in place, your staff are likely to burnout quickly, which ultimately affects your profits and overall business performance. But the good news is, it may not take much effort on your part to change your workplace culture. A major aspect of valuing your staff involves taking the time to find out what your staff think and showing that you are willing to communicate. And without intending to be patronising, we can also learn from some basic parenting strategies! I know that my children’s behaviour improves greatly when I take the time to give them positive feedback in a very intentional way. By looking them in the eye, recognising a ‘job well done’ and giving them specific recognition, my children feel better about themselves. They also understand what they’ve done well and they learn from the experience. This applies for your staff as well. When they feel competent and valued, their motivation increases. Find personal, specific ways to thank your staff for their work and let them know what an asset they are to your team. The benefits will be returned to you ten-fold.

Michelle Grice writes a weekly column for business women in The Western Weekender