Quick Leadership Tips from Success Labs’ Gloria West and Devin Lemoine

The May 13, 2014, issue of the Greater Baton Rouge Business Report featured difficult questions many business owners and managers may have along with answers from local business experts, including our own Gloria West and Devin Lemoine.

Check out what they had to say.

What's the best way to fire an employee?

Gloria told the Business Report:

Do whatever possible to maintain the employee's dignity, like severance pay or outplacement help. In the firing conversation, be specific, honest and direct about the firing reason. If the reason is not a firing offense like violence, theft or dishonesty, do whatever is necessary prior to the event so you can say,”In our last conversation about this issue, I stated that if there were no improvement/correction/changes by today, the next step would be termination."

How can I attract and retain good staff when I don't have big bucks to offer them?

Devin told the Business Report:

In our work with high-potential talent and emerging leaders, four low- or no-cost actions for companies that want to attract and retain good people are:

• Have a clear, compelling vision and purpose. Being part of something they value and feeling empowered to be a part of achieving that vision helps retain good people.

• Give feedback and show appreciation. People want to feel valued. They like knowing how what they do impacts the organization, customer, community or world.

• Clarify roles and career paths. Good people leave when they don't see a future in the organization. Conversations are often avoided because small, lean companies without a traditional career ladder feel they shouldn't talk about it. Ignoring employee career aspirations does not make them go away. Ask employees what they want to learn, what experiences they want to have, and how they want to be involved in the company. Opportunities to work on cool projects, learn new skills, or build business acumen engage good people.

• Offer flexibility and fun. The opportunity to do challenging work but maintain a healthy home life and build great relationships with co-workers are all advantages that can help retain great people. Be creative.

Need help developing and managing talent at your company? Contact Devin, Gloria and the rest of the Success Labs team for help with your people strategy.

Success Labs is a full-service, strategic organizational and leadership development company located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. For more than 25 years, our expert team of consultants has worked with hundreds of companies to explore their business potential and improve their company and cultural performance. Contact us to get proactive about your people strategy.