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Small Business Owners need to be 1st Class Team Leaders!!

Technically the people who work for you are employees.
I much prefer to think of them as team members.
As a business owner, technically you are the employer.
I much prefer to think of you as the team leader.

In my consultancy work I have found that poor team leaders are fairly common amongst small business owners. A poor team leader does not help their team members give of their best. In this situation team members don’t get much encouragement to be interested in what they do from day-to-day; they don’t get a chance to use their accumulated knowledge and experience; no one seems to be interested in what they think, little own how they feel. Sad to say, I do actually come across this (a bit more often than I would like).

The good news - It isn’t too hard to become a 1st Class Team Leader. If you would like to be a 1st Class Team Leader review these points and use any point that may be helpful.

Here’s some ideas that can help poor leaders turn their destructive reactions into constructive actions:

1.Don’t Criticize. Sure, every human being can be wrong!
Instead of being critical, commend the person on their efforts and explain that although the action/idea has merit, in this case it doesn’t seem to fit in with what you had in mind. You can also point out that in another situation it might be just the right thing. Your team will appreciate your behaviour and happily go onto the next task.

2.Don’t Blame. Sure, someone made an error!
Instead of blaming that someone for their error look at why that error was made. De-personalise it from the person to the task. Think about whether they had the right information, the right direction, the right tools, a proper understanding of what was wanted. Think about whether or not this team member was actually capable of doing the task. Don’t accuse them of being responsible for the error, ask them what happened that caused the error. Handling a problem this way allows people to learn from an error, without being accused of it being their fault. The team member will appreciate the opportunity to learn and your understanding of their need to learn.

3.Don’t shut them down. Sure, you might be busy right now!..
When you shut some one down you’re are really saying to them – you are not important. A team member doesn’t necessarily know when you are too busy to talk to them or deal with their query. Instead of saying something like - I’m too busy or instead just ignore them, do something constructive. All you need to do is acknowledge them and say something like – I can’t stop right now but give me until 1:00 and I’ll call past your desk. OR, I’ll made a time with you, come to my office at 1:00. Do we need more than 10 minutes? Check for urgency though because if it’s really urgent for the team member, then it’s probably urgent for you (or his supervisor) and should be dealt with straight away. This way no damage is done to either party. The team member happily moves on with their work, knowing their concern will be addressed soon.

4.Don’t shout. Sure, you might feel angry!
Shouting in the workplace is not a very effective way to communicate. It’s not the ball park where shouting is OK. Most people, in fact I’m sure all people, react negatively to being shouted at while they work. It’s better to say nothing than to shout. If you are justifiably angry find a way to cool off before you say anything. Come back when you’ve cooled down and deal with the situation sensibly. Keep negative forces out of your workplace and benefit everyone by demonstrating and experiencing positive behaviour.

5.Don’t be rude. Sure, you may feel they don’t deserve you!
This is simple. No one has the right to be rude to someone else. Never be rude and you will earn their respect, without even trying.

When you are a 1st Class Team Leader of your small business you can never learn too much about the best way to empower your employees. It is an ongoing and developing process. Every leader who is a business owner you wants to have a responsive and productive team and you can if you avoid the pit falls like those above.

Be honest with yourself and think through these 5 Top Ways to Empower your Employees. Take advantage of FREE online business educations and maximise your Operational Risk Management training.

More small business owner’s success tips from me are at

Empower Your Employees
Elaine Masters
Business Consultant & Coach
Online Business Education
Operational Risk Management Training
Master Your Business