NFIB

Make Each Employee Responsible for an Area of Growth
07/ 26/ 2002

by Jeffrey Moses

Most small businesses attempt to motivate employees by encouraging them to feel that they are part of a team. This may help them feel that they are responsible for--and ultimately will benefit from--all company successes. It does not, however, give them specific goals for which they are responsible and will be held individually accountable.

To accomplish this, management and company owners should determine which company projects will be assigned to individual employees or--in the case of larger projects--to teams of employees. The individuals or teams should be informed of their responsibilities, with detailed project goals, methodology, timelines, financial resources and other important aspects presented in written form.

For instance, the owner of a print shop could decide that the company should broaden its marketing efforts to attract new types of business customers. Rather than simply give the entire project to the store manager or the marketing manager, the project could be broken down into specific segments. The marketing manager could be made responsible for generating new customers in the fields of insurance, finance (banks, brokerage houses, mortgage lenders, etc.) and real estate. A key marketing employee could be given responsibility for contacting new customers in graphic design, advertising and manufacturing. Each additional marketing employee would be given responsibility for contacting retail operations in specific regions.

This arrangement would not disrupt the company manager/marketing employee hierarchy within the organization. It would simply focus responsibilities, giving managers and employees definite tasks and goals.

The goals of each employee should be stated clearly. For instance, each individual responsible for contacting retail stores in a certain region could proceed with the stated goal of increasing business for that region by 10 percent within six months, and by 25 percent within a year.

This approach gets each employee motivated and directly involved in projects that measurably increase the company's overall revenue and profitability. When designed and implemented properly, such a program is sure to boost short-term and long-term growth.

Small Business Sound Off
Does this story hit home?  Share your story with us