Build Your Business by Building Your People

Build Your Business by Building Your People Build Your Business by Building Your People What kind of leader are you? Do you build people up, helping them to see their strengths and potential? Or do your actions show them that youre mora concerned about your bottom line.In recent studies, more than a third of employees who had recently quit a job said the number one factor in their decision was a lack of appreciation for their contributions.Recognizing your employees accomplishments costs your business leidhing, but it can yield big dividends. Raises and bonuses are always helpful, of course, but demonstrating your respect and appreciation can be a far more powerful way to keep good employees in the fold.Your support triggers a chain reaction that can enable good employees to rise to greatness. They sense it when you believe in them. It builds their motivation and self-confidence. It boosts their drive to produce and succeedfor both themselves and the company.Building up your employee s isnt as simple as it sounds, though. In fact, for some its one of the biggest management challenges there is.It comes easily for some managers. Theyre born people builders, with enough charisma and optimism to attract friends and inspire loyalty. These people-magnets encourage their associates by recognizing whats good about them and what they do, rather than fixating on their weaknesses.Others have to work at it, though, and train themselves in communication skills that help them convey that same positive message.Either way, the key is sincerity. To be taken to heart by an employee, your individual encouragement must be based on a genuine understanding of your employees strengths and weaknesses, their business beliefs and personalities, and their similarities and differences. Yes, this takes effort, but imagine the potential return on investment.People-building doesnt mean ignoring unacceptable behavior. But effective leaders understand that they should praise their employees abo ut 8 to 10 times more than they criticize them. This is not an arbitrary statistic research by the U.S. Army confirms that in order to accept and grow from criticism people need eight praises for every constructive criticism. Its all about finding the right balance of praise and criticism for the individuals you supervise.When its necessary to point out errors or suggest improvements, just be sure to phrase the feedback constructively to prevent defensiveness. A secret in giving feedback is always asking permission to give it. Employees will probably be more open to feedback because theyve been given some control of the dialog.By reframing critical feedback as constructive educational points, managers can translate a potential negative reaction into a positive one. The employees motivation, trust, and emotional engagement remain intact, and he or she is able to focus more on the message youre trying to send.Its a balancing act to deliver the right mix of praise and constructive crit icism, but its the best way for a manager tobuild people and build the bottom line at the same time.Adapted from Become a People Builder How to Maximize Employee Performance, by Sam Allman, Allman Consulting and Training, for ME Today.Building up your employees isnt as simple as it sounds, though. In fact, for some its one of the biggest management challenges there is.