Managing Work/Life Balance in a Small Business
Tips on Taking a Vacation
Running a business is said to be one of the most stressful jobs in the world. The demands on personal time, income and expertise can be challenging for any entrepreneur. To make matters worse, many never take time off to relax and enjoy life. In fact, 40% of small business owners never plan vacation time throughout the year, according to a survey by American Express. Respondents cited concerns over the decision-making abilities of their staff, management capabilities of employees, customer service issues or fear of missing business opportunities as top reasons they do not take time off.
Even when they do take off, many small business owners never really get a break. According to a survey by Rasmussen Reports, 29% of entrepreneurs check in on the office each day while on vacation. That’s probably why 24% report returning to work as stressed as before they left for vacation. To negate the stressful effects of taking vacation time, small business owners can apply some basic tips in planning a yearly vacation.
Plan Ahead
Thinking months or even a year ahead of time about making vacation plans is the best way to ensure an extended vacation will happen. Planning to take time off during downtime or, with a seasonal business, during the off season, is a good way to ensure there is ample time for a real vacation. Business owners should consider vacations far in advance and let employees know that they should plan to take off at another time to avoid conflicts and ensure that the workplace will be fully staffed while they are away.
Take Time Off
This may seem like a given, but when small business owners plan vacations, many simply stack a day of personal time onto a business trip and convince themselves they’ve really had a vacation. While this technique is a great way for entrepreneurs to take advantage of some of the perks of owning their own business, this does not really constitute a vacation. Instead of squeezing in a day or two off every few months, small business owners should plan at least one extended break each year to take time off and leave work behind.
Empower Workers
Spending time training workers to handle important duties and affirming their abilities to do so can take away the stress of “leaving the nest” that many entrepreneurs face when taking a vacation. Building workers’ confidence in their ability to help out reinforces trust and fosters responsibility. Entrepreneurs frequently find that after returning from vacation, their workforce operates with a newfound sense of pride and that workers are more willing to take on new responsibilities, opening the door to business opportunities and growth.
Hire Help
Especially with a small workforce, hiring temporary help ensures that normal business functions are maintained as other workers make sure all goes well while the boss is away. Temporary workers can focus on some of the more mundane tasks on the job while full-time workers manage more important duties.
Really Relax
Many small business owners still neglect to reward themselves by planning a terrific vacation and truly relaxing while they are away. Instead of checking in with the office every hour to make sure everything is OK, it is better to let go of the fear and be invigorated and motivated by the time away from work. And if something does go wrong at work, the employees who are there will make sure their boss is the first to know. Experts note that the benefits of being refreshed and re-energized after a true vacation is often what sparks new business ideas or opportunities for the rest of the year.
Learn to Lead
Rewards and Recognition
This series has explored how great leaders guide their employees to success on a consistent basis. Using the tools of feedback, trust and performance reviews is a great place to start, but how can employers motivate workers after these feats have been accomplished? Rewarding good performance is the final tool in any leader’s management toolbox. 
Great leaders reward performance according to desired productivity levels. In other words, the quality of the recognition should coincide with the quality of work. Rewards need to be achievable but not easily attainable or else they run the risk of becoming meaningless. Employers should clearly state expectations for employees upon hiring and should reaffirm their expectations regularly. To prevent any confusion or misunderstanding, it is vital to explain rewards criteria to workers.
Getting creative with rewards helps keep costs low and employee morale high. Creative awards can be used along with traditional rewards such as bonuses, plaques and gift certificates. Here are some ideas for alternative rewards:
Time Off
Paid time off (PTO) is becoming increasingly prized by employees across the board. In fact, according to the Yankelovich Monitor, a comprehensive marketing research report, employees surveyed would take a pay cut for more time off. This reward is great for employees who value free time. Plus, this reward has the added bonus of employees returning to work refreshed and energized.
Recognition from the Supervisor
According to the National Association for Employee Recognition, employees strongly believe that recognition from supervisors improves morale and work productivity. Turn recognition into a reward by offering lunch with the supervisor or chief executive officer to show appreciation. This reward is great for employees who thrive on being in the spotlight.
Powers of Responsibility
Many employees believe that growing in their career is a great motivator. That is why increased responsibility is a terrific reward. But leaders should remember that there is a fine line between delegating to employees and dumping work on them. This reward should be used with career-oriented individuals.
Just Ask
Employers who aren’t sure what to offer individual employees should ask them. This method allows employees to provide some input on their incentives for outstanding work and is a great motivator because they are working toward a personal goal.
In the end, recognition can be as simple as a letter of appreciation from the supervisor or as elaborate as a paid vacation to Hawaii. Implementing or revitalizing a rewards program can keep high performing employees working hard and motivate others to excel as well. Apply these ideas to jump-start an awards program or refine an existing one to better recognize productive workers and weed out low performers.
Monday Morning Leadership Tips
Taking Responsibility for Driving Team Success
Managers in every industry and organization face the daily challenge of whether they will rise to the opportunities of their position and lead their employees to success or simply soldier through another day of merely acceptable results. Leadership can be particularly difficult for those who have risen through the ranks into a management position but lack the knowledge and experience to effectively manage their team. The fear of appearing incompetent often keeps managers from seeking assistance or admitting that they are ineffective leaders.
The struggle to become more than simply a manager is identified by author David Cottrell in his book Monday Morning Leadership. In it, he describes his difficulties as a manager for a Fortune 500 company. Despite attending numerous management training sessions, Cottrell remained an inadequate leader. His team was plagued by less than desirable results and high turnover. Finally, Cottrell sought out a mentor whose shared knowledge revolutionized his management style. In this book, he offers eight simple lessons all managers can apply to transform their management style into true leadership. This series will explore these simple lessons to provide a quick dose of management leadership training.
Drivers and Passengers: Accepting Responsibility for Your Team
To illustrate that leaders take responsibility for their team – successes, failures, miscommunications and all – Cottrell uses the metaphor of drivers and passengers. The driver takes responsibility for the passengers, meaning that they must focus on where they are going and are responsible for everyone arriving at the destination. To make sure this happens, drivers give up some of the freedoms that come with just riding in the car. They can’t afford to be distracted by the small things going on – like arguments or travel games. Leaders are just like drivers: they must take on the responsibility of the team and give up some of their own freedoms to ensure success.
Keeping the Main Thing the Main Thing
Cottrell goes on to emphasize the importance of the “main thing.” In essence, the main thing simply refers to priorities, and it can be reached in three simple steps. First, great leaders figure out what the main thing is; it may be a short list of priorities or one main goal. Then, they communicate with their boss to ensure support of departmental priorities and align the main thing with company goals. Finally, they make sure to communicate and emphasize the main thing to their employees so their entire team can work toward success.
In understanding the main thing, leaders must realize that people tend to view the main thing differently. And, this difference of perspective often leads to miscommunication or discord, potentially causing employees to leave. As Cottrell puts it, “People quit people before they quit companies.” That’s why great leaders focus on the team by asking team members what they view as priorities. The answers may be surprising because they may be very different from what the leader believes is the top priority. But tackling this issue and creating a concrete set of priorities has a huge payoff. It can foster communication and teamwork, help retain employees and most importantly, focus teams toward a common goal and help them achieve success.
Employment Situation Summary
United States
Non-farm employment rose by 75,000 jobs in May, and the unemployment rate dropped slightly to 4.6%.
Major Industry Employment for May 2006
• Construction: + 1,000
• Manufacturing: - 14,000
• Retail Trade: - 27,000
• Professional & Business Services: + 27,000
• Educational & Health Services: + 41,000
• Leisure & Hospitality: + 4,000
• Government: + 8,000
Canada
Employment increased by 97,000 jobs in May, and the unemployment rate dropped to 6.1%, the lowest rate since December 1974.
Major Industry Employment for May 2006
• Agriculture: - 4,000
• Construction: + 2,000
• Manufacturing: - 22,000
• Trade: + 3,000
• Transportation & Warehousing: + 6,000
• Finance, Insurance, Real Estate & Leasing: + 31,000
• Educational Services: - 16,000
• Health Care & Social Assistance: + 23,000
• Information, Culture & Recreation: 13,000
• Public Administration: + 22,000
e-Xchange is a publication of Express Services, Inc., Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Copyright 2006.