To celebrate Labor Day, we compiled some of entrepreneur Norm Brodsky's advice on managing a harmonious workforce. Tip No. 1: Avoid hiring people who remind you of yourself. “Entrepreneurs don't make good employees," he explains. "What's more, they are often crummy managers.” Instead, look for steadier hands who have worked in organizations as large or larger than your own.
At a time when many employers are sending subtle (and not so subtle) signals to workers to cut back on customer service, you should rally your employees to go the extra mile. Not only will your customers love it, but you will also instill a sense of confidence and self esteem in your workforce.
Brodsky is a vocal critic of sales commissions because he believes that they create factions, by pitting the financial self interest of salespeople against the needs of operations and accounting. "Because of the role they play and the difficulty of the work they do, salespeople will always earn more than most other people," Brodsky says. "But I want all of my employees to be part of the same compensation system."
Sharing equity is supposed to be a great way to attract talent to your small company, but too often it leads to strife and legal wrangling. Brodsky says you should instead offer workers above-market salaries or generous health benefits. Anyone who hesitates to accept this probably isn’t someone you want on your team anyway. Remember, Brodsky says, “it's easy to give away part of your company but really hard to get it back.”
Though layoffs are sometimes necessary, they should be looked at as a last resort. That's because job cuts can do serious long-term damage to a company’s culture and can cause you to miss out on growth opportunities in the future. “Think first about freezing salaries, eliminating perks, not replacing old equipment, and so on," Brodsky says. "Your employees will understand and support you if you're trying to save jobs."
