I hate it when my hopes are dashed.
I had high hopes for a certain worker who I will call Wayne. He is young and ambitious. He aced his trade technology schooling and was becoming a sales and technical leader at his company. Until just recently, I would have described him as an example of the brightest and best of our industry.
Then, I was informed that Wayne had taken the company truck to a party, had a few drinks and caused a serious accident on his way home. He’s now unemployed and talking to a lawyer. Sigh.
Raise your hand if you have a similar story involving someone who worked at your company. I thought so. Could we have seen it coming? Is there something we could’ve done to prevent such tragedy?
Of course, Wayne bears the responsibility for his actions. Still, I wonder what we can do to help.
We can create a positive environment. Is your shop a place where good performance is rewarded and bad behavior is weeded out? When a new hire arrives, he will quickly determine if it’s a company that will support his decision to do good things or if it’s a company that would permit him to buy and do drugs on the side or call in sick at the last minute and still keep his job. He will determine that because other people at your shop will want to get him up to speed about the company’s culture: “Hey, this is how things are here, and you should know.”
People who want a safe place to work, where people show up clean, sober, on time and dressed accordingly, will be attracted to a shop where these behaviors are valued. Unless you demonstrate otherwise, team members will expect negative consequences for employees who don’t comply with your established and enforced social mores.
Start with these basics:
• Play it straight. Establish tight drug-testing procedures. Test people prior to the second interview, when hired and randomly for all team members, including the owners.
• Invest in relationships. Spend time learning about team members’ families. Learn about their dreams and hobbies and what they like to do on their days off. Relationships take time to develop. Invest in your people, and commit to helping them develop, personally and professionally.
• Reward good performance. Provide a structured formal salary ladder with clear guidelines for moving up the pay scale. Implement a bonus program that honors ethical sales and on-time, on-budget production.
• Don’t be afraid to fire for clear violations. Let them know where the line is. Being intoxicated at work or in a company truck or lying or stealing are all grounds for immediate dismissal. For other operational responsibilities – such as showing up on time – there are processes to put in place. Here are a few suggestions: First offense means a verbal warning; second offense is a written warning; third offense brings suspension; and fourth offense shows them the door. Progressive discipline is a way to help someone turn around when they start walking down a bad path.
• Make it safe to fail and get back up. If you have written up an employee, follow through if necessary on the next violation. If the employee keeps his nose clean, expunge his record after six months, and celebrate back-on-track behavior.
It’s not too late. While we can’t prevent every tragedy, we can pay more attention. Maybe, just maybe, we could catch the next Wayne before he takes a turn for the worse.
Ellen Rohr is an author and business consultant who helps entrepreneurs start, fix and grow their businesses. She conducts a monthly webinar, and her books include “Where Did the Money Go?” and “The Bare Bones Weekend Biz Plan.” She can be reached at ellen@barebonesbiz.com.[[In-content Ad]]
