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NewsDay

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Employers must make their employees ’partners’

Opinion & Analysis
Investing in staff is something that many employers overlook and for reasons. Some employers fear that their employee will leave the company before the investment in their employees’ development has paid off. Yes, it is true that your employee may also go to the next employer if not taken care of. But consider the consequences […]

Investing in staff is something that many employers overlook and for reasons. Some employers fear that their employee will leave the company before the investment in their employees’ development has paid off. Yes, it is true that your employee may also go to the next employer if not taken care of. But consider the consequences in situations where your employees have chosen to stay and you have not made any investment in their professional development. Making employees partners should be a priority.

Making employees business partners is about ensuring that they feel safe and secure in their jobs.

Creating a culture where employees feel involved and dedicated is of prime importance given the highly volatile business scenario. Making employees business associates or partners reflects the company’s commitment to being a good employer that believes in collaboration rather than control.

In addition to that ,making employees business partners is also a reflection on company’s confidence in the quality, competence and engagement of its employees. It is common knowledge that a business partner would be more engaged and enthusiastic about the success of an enterprise. Hence making employees business partners would be a step in the right direction.

How to make your employees your partners

Cultivating open communication is crucial and acts as an enabler in making your employees your partners. You should encourage your team members to speak openly share ideas, make suggestions and voice their opinions across all aspects of the business. Communication is a two-way process and employees should feel like they can add to the conversation both with superiors and peers and by that they can feel they are partners. It is always better if the communication is through email with all the team members in the loop so that none feels neglected or left out.

View errors and mistakes as learning opportunities

Employees often remain silent when there is fear that their suggestions will not turn out well. When you encourage your team to make suggestions, you have to make it clear that you respect their vision and do not expect perfection. Even when the implementation of ideas goes bitter, you need to applaud creative efforts. ”Making a mistake” is not the same thing as ”failing.” A failure is the result of a wrong action, whereas a mistake usually is the wrong action. So, when you make a mistake, you can learn from it and fix it, whereas you can only learn from a failure. Your mistakes are your best teachers. Each error contains the secret key to open the door of your failures, through which you can enter the world of learning.

Celebrating all succeses together

Whenever one achieves a goal, recognise and do not forget to give a reward for that success.

Successful team building in the workplace often translates into success for everyone.

It is not difficult and does not require you to go out of your way or do anything extraordinary as a common man to be successful. In a team we should learn to appreciate and acknowledge each other’s efforts as well by celebrating the success of a job well done. You should take pride in your team’s success by taking the time to celebrate it.

Create a team-oriented culture for your organisation

If you truly value and want to encourage teamwork and collaboration, your organisation’s culture must support your employees in practicing these skills. You need to take the actions necessary to create a work environment that expects, foster, reward and recognise teamwork. Make teamwork one of your core company values, and put a clear emphasis on self-managing teams that are empowered to make their own decisions.

Show your employees the seriousness of your commitment by giving teams the authority to get their jobs done on their own terms, while ensuring they accept responsibility for the results. The goal or the objective of the team must be clearly defined. The objective of the team must be shared with every team member and they must be clear what is expected out of them. The purpose why the team has been formed must be very clear to the team members. They should know what they have to work so that they can deliver their best.

Work on employee retention.

This is not as hard as you might think and it is also very crucial to retain your employees. Your staff only needs to feel that they are valued and that their contributions to the company are what keeps the business moving forward. Get to know your staff as individuals. Understand what it is that they need to succeed. Give them the tools, support and environment that will help them to excel. Building the best team for your business may seem laborious, but in the end, the ultimate beneficiaries will be your clients, employees and your businesses’ bottom line.

Engage your employees

One of the key factors to running a successful business is knowing how to engage employees. If the leaders of a business or organisation understand the level of passion their workforce has for the job, they are a step ahead of the competition. As a manager, you want your employees to have pride in what they do and in the company they work for. If you are operating in a managerial position, getting to know your employees will be a key part to a successful evaluation of how engaged your staff is. From their backgrounds to their hobbies, skill sets and family life; all the aspects of your employees will end up becoming part of your workplace environment.

Empowering workers

Encourage workers to take the initiative to try new things without waiting for permission. Let them own their jobs, for example, giving them a say in the outcome of what they do. The more control they feel they have, the more discretionary effort they will channel into their work.

Furthermore, most frontline employees require the flexibility to execute strategy immediately.

Share your vision with employees

A well-considered mission statement plays an integral role in the success of a business, but you can’t keep it to yourself. While some companies update their mission statements annually and share them on their website, you may choose to keep yours steady and private. However, you should make sure that every employee understands and supports the business mission over the short- and longer term. As your employees go about their daily work, the company’s vision can plant the seeds of creativity in their minds. Rather than just fretting about a cumbersome task, they are more likely to come up with solutions that support your mission of increased productivity, while also improving their jobs.

Look for “partners,” not just workers.

You need people who don’t just solve existing problems, but who also solve problems before they happen. These are the kinds of people who have a larger goal in sight for both the company and their personal development. A powerful and successful company operates best and with the most longevity when employees work with a team mentality, each filling a needed role and fulfilling long-term goals.

Making employees business partners translates to them going the extra mile, doing much more than the basic requirements of their job and demonstrating their indefatigable loyalty towards serving their customers. In such a competitive business scenario, a company that can create such a robust workforce can be assured of success and build their capability of attracting and retaining their customers too. Making employees business partners is highly intelligent and strategic move that will bear rich rewards for any company.

 Emmanuel Zvada is a human capital consultant and an international recruitment expert. He writes in his personal capacity.