When you embark on the trail of starting a business enterprise there is so much work devoted to developing business plans, finding capital, setting up shop, hiring employees and finding the best way to promote and advertise what you have to sell. As times goes by you keep one eye on the sales strategy, delivery of product and service and another eye on the books, making sure sales meet the needs of expense and leave you something left over for profit.

In the midst of all these demands there is the matter of supervising and directing the workforce. That is a full-time job. You want so much for your employees to be dependable, productive and happy with the job. But in real life there are always going to be issues you must address. Rumors, gossip, poor performance, disciplinary action, counseling, and even a misdemeanor or felony can occupy your day. In some cases there may be the attempt to unionize the workforce.

In addition to being the guru of widgets you must also become a leader of people. Learning the characteristics of a good leader is easy, responding to difficult circumstances requires you to apply what you've learned.

Counseling employees is an issue for which so many owners and supervisors are criticized. Implementing the following procedures will encourage more employee respect and loyalty:

1. Plan out the counseling session before conducting it. Lack of planning can result in you saying or doing something that will later be regretted.
   
2. Counsel the employee in a private place. An employee can't be more humiliated than when disciplined in front of other employees or customers.
   
3. Maintain confidentiality of the counseling session. Don't go around telling everybody what was said. That is the option of the employee if he/she so chooses. But you must maintain a dignity and human respect for these types of situations. All good employees will respect that in you.
   
4. When presenting the facts, as you know them, give your employee the opportunity to respond. Don't do all the talking. How will you possibly learn the employee's feelings and facts as he or she sees them? You may learn something.
   
5. Stay on track. Don't discuss lunch or the latest basketball game. Counseling an employee is a very serious matter impacting the company. You want to convey that seriousness to the employee.
   
6. Find solutions to the problem, but first define the problem. Give the employee an opportunity to participate in deciding what is the best way to correct the situation.
   
7. Agree to meet again in a few days or next week to discuss progress being made to correct the problem.
   
8. Stay away from personal problems. You are an employer, not a marriage or family counselor. At most, you only want to 'suggest' alternative sources outside the business to help with personal problems. And don't be specific about who to see or where to go. Liability is something no business owner wants.

In matters of gossip, it is good to know what is being said. You want to know what your employees are talking about. But I don't suggest participating in it. You could end up becoming the target of an employee accusation. Besides participating in gossip doesn't exactly portray a good image of you.

Regarding acts of misdemeanor and felony, don't take the law into your own hands. Contact the appropriate authorities, if necessary, and allow them to conduct the proper investigation. Again, you must consider issue of liability.

Finally, if your company becomes the target of union recruitment activities, don't go around talking to the employees about the matter. Immediately contact an attorney in labor law and proceed according to his or her advice. Labor law is not your specialty, and you could end up saying or doing things that could make matters worse.


© 2000, Carroll Stephen Windhaus