Your employees are more than a set of hands

Your employees are more than a set of hands.

When you think about your team members, what do you think about? Do you think about what they need to get done for the day? Do you think about how they can help you? Have you ever given consideration to their abilities or their contributions?  When you think about them, do you think they are simply a set of hands to get things done? Your employees are more than a set of hands. 

Your team members are so much more than a set of hands. Just like you, they are humans. Just like you, they think while they work. The have ideas. Most leadership is concerned about their employees’ ability to contribute to the business. Leaders consider knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs) when they think about employees. Leaders think about how that employee can best support the business. Do leaders ever think about their minds or their hearts? 

It is necessary to hire people who can do the job. It is also necessary to understand those people. In addition to KSAs, leaders should also consider the depth of their employees. Perhaps those employees have more to offer. 

• Great ideas
• New processes
• Quicker methods
• Safer ways to do things

Your employees are hands-on. They understand how things work. Oftentimes, better than you. Give them your time. Ask them for input. Engage them in conversation. You never know, they may offer a game changing idea. 

By engaging your employees in the business, you will gain more than just their ideas. You will gain their trust. They will feel more involved in the business. Engagement in the business improves productivity. It improves drive and desire to do well. Engagement improves retention.  

Talk to your employees. Understand them. Involve them. When you do these things, do them honestly and genuinely. Build the business together, as a team.