Slow and Steady Wins the Race

                Sometimes it’s better to run a business like a woman instead of like a man. Herbers compared men and women to hares and tortoises respectively.  Men tend to want to grow their businesses fast and take risks, and women are focused on making their business the best they can by building slowly and avoiding risky decisions (Herbers, 2014).   So, how do you become a tortoise instead of a hare?  Two of the top keys are (1) listening to employees and (2) building a good employee lifestyle.

            Listening to employees is one of the top keys to running a successful business.  “Your team is made up of human beings, not robots.  They have their limits and require breaks” (as cited in Williams, 2014).  Take the time to listen to the employees when they have suggestions or concerns because this will help to make them feel more like a human.  This can motivate them to perform duties at their best, which in turn helps the business prosper without robots.

            In addition to listening to employees, building a good employee lifestyle is vital to running a successful business. Creating a flexible environment can be more powerful than any promotion or compensation (Herbers, 2014).  Letting go and allowing employees to do what they do best can boost their productivity and make them more content (Williams, 2014).   Things are much easier to get done when they have that control and the pressure of feeling rushed is not as high.

            Listening to employees and building a good employee lifestyle might seem like more than you can chew on, but it’s easy.  By letting employees take the reins over certain aspects of a project, employers will show that they trust and appreciate their workers.  As long as the work gets done, following these keys will lead to the business flourishing.

References

Herbers, A. (2014). Run (your business) like a girl. Investment Advisor, 34(10), 55-56.

Williams, D. W. (2014). The successful entrepreneur’s secret? Delegation. Retirement Advisor, 15(9), 10.

Professional Characteristics, Say What?!

Nowadays employers are no longer looking for what people know.  According to Sundheim (2013), they are looking for professional characteristics in employees.  Everyone can gain knowledge and skills, but learning professional characteristics is hard.  Employers are starting to “heavily weigh personality when determining the most apt employees” (Sundheim, 2013).  Two great characteristics of a professional employee are to be diversity sensitive and to be upbeat.

Diversity sensitivity is becoming easier for some people but is still really hard for others.  Great rapport can be built by understanding one another and recognizing each other’s differences.  This can really help someone become of great value to an employer (For Dummies, 2014).  When I was in the military, being diversity sensitive was very important.  The mission was able to be completed with efficiency when we were able to come together and put aside any differences.  This helped us to embrace each other as a person and as a team.

This then leads to another great professional characteristic, which is to be upbeat.  Having beaming energy and a positive attitude can really make or break the workday for everyone involved.  An employer doesn’t want to promote someone who is constantly negative or sad.   Sundheim (2014) states “Employees who come into work fresh and energetic everyday are going to outproduce workers who think negatively and easily burn-out when they encounter defeat.”  The vibes are so much better around people who are positive and upbeat, which makes it easier to develop new ideas.

Information on your product and services can always be taught, but you can’t train someone to be diversity sensitive and to be upbeat.  A good employee is one who puts in the effort to not only tolerate but also embrace the different magnitudes of diversity.  Having a sunny outlook at work and never letting the rain get in the way is also a vital attribute of a good employee (For Dummies).  Knowing this can help any job search turn into having that dream job.

References

For Dummies. (2014). Skills and personal qualities that employers want. Retrieved from For Dummies, Making Everything Easier website: http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/skills-and-personal-qualities-that-employers-want.html

Sundheim, K. (2013, April 2). 15 traits of the ideal employee. Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com
/sites/kensundheim/2013/04/02/15-traits-of-the-ideal-employee/