I walked in the door, no sales person. I called out, no answer. I stood and checked out the display before calling out again, No answer. Finally a person came out and stretched with a wide yawn, “Ehr g’day, I didn’t know you were there… I was taking a snooze out the back. Must have over slept the door buzzer.” That’s ok I said I’m not a thief, lucky for you, otherwise I would have been able to take anything I wanted…. I got a blank look in return.

The person went on to say that it was a quiet time of the week and the boss was out doing deliveries, this person was just in the shop to answer the phone while the boss was out.

To top it off this was another, non-smiling staff member oh great! The person stood and made excuses, and was not at all fussed that I was there for a purpose. I eventually told them what I wanted however all the way, there was not a smile or hearty welcome. Therefore I did not feel welcome.

Who’s at fault, the boss or the worker?
The boss… Not his fault, He would probably say “You can’t get good staff these days, they are just not motivated. I asked the person to be here to put their best foot forward and make sure that things were looked after, but I can not be here all the time to watch out for them.”

The worker… Not me! “All I did was what I was asked, that is to be here to answer the phone while the boss is out on deliveries, what more is there? Anyway the boss did not tell me what else to do.”

The Situation
Blame, if all else fails blame someone… That’s how it is done in many businesses. In this case one person could blame the other and they would get nowhere. Wake up, avoid blaming others, note the situation and get on with altering it. The aim, perhaps a “blame free zone” so your team can start heading for a business that works more effectively.

What now?
How do you make sure the staff are being responsible? Working effectively while you are out, getting other things done? Answer, train them. I can hear the calls coming already “I don’t have time to train people, I am too busy working on the business to train anyone and besides, what do I know about training people?”

Good answer, and I would suggest that this business owner will always have an average business with an attitude like that. Those that get ahead often train without knowing it, they often let others know what needs to be done and how to do it. This is the age-old principle of the master and the apprentice, these days much of the though around training is more formally based, yet the idea should still hold true for many businesses, even if they are not trades based.

Consider  this, how many times does a good communicator in business have to pass on information to their staff? Not often, the staff will appreciate the effort taken, will learn readily and retain the information that has been presented (often in a relaxed non-threatening way.) They obtain the skills, hone these, and are ready to pay back the education given by simply doing the best they can.

Many books over the years on staff productivity and business have shown that staff will give 110% when they are lead by a person that sets high personal standards in all areas of business and personal life. If the boss is a hard task master they are often ridiculed behind their back by the staff, yet if they are great at communicating the task at hand with ease then staff will often go the extra mile.

Consider going the extra mile yourself and with your staff. Give them your best, that way you can expect to get something back. As for the staff member who was having a sleep out the back, there may well be little hope of reform if the situation is allowed to continue. Six months later I went past the business to find that it had closed down. In reality the sleepy worker may have only been a small part of the problem the business owner faced.

In business the sleeper soon gets caught out, the business can quickly dry up and the customer can soon go elsewhere. Do yourself a favour… Wake Up!