Edmunds: Try placing trust in your staff

Hello, Gladys, I consider myself successful in my business. I own a temporary employment agency and I haven't been on vacation in 10 years. The reason is, I can't be comfortable when I'm not in my office. It's ironic my company is very good at matching temps to employers, but I can't seem to find good people to work for me. I spend most of my day putting out fires that my staff presents me with. It's just one thing after the other. I often have to oversee or at least double-check their work. And in most cases it has to do with customer satisfaction. Do you have any suggestions? -- Jon

You seem to be micromanaging, and that can be counterproductive to business success.

Your hiring procedures should be consistent with your business visions and objectives. Before interviewing people, have you made a list of the qualities that you need in the hire? Are you asking for references to support the qualifications claimed by the applicant? Are your new hires clear on what is expected of them? Taking the time to address these things along with anything else that can be beneficial to your company is crucial.

If you find that there is nothing wrong with your people when you hire them, then we can assume that the problem starts after they have been hired. Therefore it is time to look at how your management style. I have often told the story about my father never allowing my brothers to mow the lawn when we were kids because my dad believed that my brothers could not do the good job that he could do himself. On the few times that he allowed one of my brothers to mow the grass or cut the hedges he would stand over them like a hawk and yell out instructions on how he wanted it done.

STRAUSS: Empower your employees

My husband used to micromanage the repairman that he called in to make a home repair of some sort. He would watch their every move while asking a bunch of questions and periodically throwing in a few suggestions. Never mind that he knew nothing about the repairs being! performed.

This kind of behavior can scare a person out of their wits and force them to become defensive or let you do their job. And, it can work on your nerves as well. I know how difficult it can be. Try backing off a bit and let your employees have a little responsibility of their own. Many entrepreneurs feel that if the job is to be done right they will have to do it themselves.

This belief can also find its way into other aspects of the entrepreneur's life. I volunteered to be on a fundraising committee for an organization. The chairperson was an entrepreneur. She wanted to micromanage how each of us approached our prospects for a contribution. Meanwhile she had never done charitable fundraising herself. And her constant nagging and demanding to be told step-by-step each thing we did or said was annoying.

Try letting your staff to do their own work. Make them feel like a part of your company by backing off and trusting them a little more. Those employees who actually can't handle responsibility will most likely leave on their own; otherwise you can feel comfortable in letting them go. Hold regular meetings that focus on the kind of training that is consistent with goals and/or your company mission statement. You will probably be pleasantly surprised. Employees who are made to feel like a real part of the company will take pride in their work. They will also feel free to express their ideas and suggestions that can help your company to grow.

A final point: Expect the best from your staff and let them know they are capable of performing with excellence. And you will most likely get it.

Gladys Edmunds, founder of Edmunds Travel Consultants in Pittsburgh, is an author and coach/consultant in business development. Her column appears Wednesdays. E-mail her at gladys@gladysedmunds.com. An archive of her columns is here. Her website is gladysedmunds.com.