When people discuss the best practices of a business, they are usually describing the policies, ideas, and ethics that represent the most sensible course of action in any given business situation. The best practices of a company are usually decided upon by a company’s management team and they are created to fix problems in the most prudent way possible. In addition, best practices are in place to encourage positive employee morale and to help people succeed.
Deciding on which best practices you intend to follow as a business should be something you as a management team agree upon during the earliest stages of company creation. It is tied in very closely with a company’s culture and how freely the employees feel they can come to their leaders with issues or for guidance. Employee engagement is one of the most important practices, as it makes them feel like they are a part of the company. Holding all-hands meetings to announce when changes occur and then giving employees the opportunity to ask any follow-up questions is a great motivator. Highlighting good performance by giving shout outs and honoring employees of the month are other ways of recognizing the efforts of your team members.
In addition to hosting meetings, a good rule of thumb is to get employee feedback every few months on how they feel best practices are being used. As a leader, it is your job to be open to critique and suggestions without taking any of it personally, so ask the right questions that will really encourage people to give constructive answers. Most importantly, let them see that you take suggestions seriously by incorporating effective changes in the workplace and showing consistent enforcement.
If a major update is going to take place, it’s important to make sure that everyone is involved when it is announced. The last thing you want is for some people to not be alerted to an announcement and find it out through other channels. All people should be notified at the same time. Introduce change slowly and with plenty of time for training. All change will come with a learning curve.
Originally published at http://amigomga.org on August 6, 2020.
