Background information
A Good Boss Is a Great Employeeby Mary Schanzer
My husband and I own a company that provides temporary skilled food servers and bartenders to hotels, country clubs and upscale caterers. We have 20 full-time and 75 part-time employees. Our gross revenues this year are expected to reach $800,000, and we just launched our first franchised location in Miami. But if it’s Saturday night, you won’t find my husband and me out toasting our success.
Oh, we’re out on the town for sure, usually at some swanky affair. It’s easy to find me: I’m the person pouring your glass of wine, bringing out your meal and busing your dirty table at night’s end. Working alongside our employees is where you’ll find us almost every Saturday night.
I was a good employee even before I became a business owner. I got my first job at an ice cream parlor when I was 18, and within six months I was manager. I’ve had to challenge myself to think more like a CEO and less like an employee since starting our business. At a staff meeting recently, I told my employees that they are as important, if not more important, than my clients—because I wouldn’t have clients if I didn’t have good employees.
Even though I have managers, in my business (and probably in many others) there is a real benefit of owners working alongside their employees. Since we’re a temporary service, my employees are at 30 to 50 different events each week. They’re not in one place where I can supervise them or get to know them.
Besides setting a good example, I’m able to see who’s a good worker, who needs more training and who is a natural leader. It’s amazing how much better a crew works if the person who signs their paycheck works alongside them. I think they respect me for it. It shows that I’m not asking them to do something I wouldn’t do myself.
There are two key things I always remember when dealing with my staff:
Recognize employees as individuals. In my mind, I have an image of the ideal employee who can do everything, who is well liked, who always has a neat appearance and who always shows up for work on time. The problem is—that person doesn’t exist.
I have employees who fit into certain environments better than others. One who excels at working a banquet for 1,000 people might not do well at a small, private home party. For the most part, every employee can contribute: It’s up to you to find out how. We’re so specific that we even know which of our employees cuts wedding cake the best. Not everyone is going to have top-notch skills, but if they have the desire to work hard, we’ll find a job for them.
I’ve also learned to treat employees fairly and with respect. Whether my employees have paycheck concerns or problems on the job, I take them very seriously. Dismissing their problems sends a message that I don’t care. It’s not so much that I have to trust my employees—they have to trust me, too.
That’s why we have a policy of paying our employees if we call them to cancel the same day of their scheduled shift. I keep my promises to my employees so they’ll feel confident I will do the right thing on their behalf. I have to earn their trust or they’re not going to stay with me for very long.
Mary Schanzer is a co-founder and managing member of Party Personnel Franchise Systems (http://www.partypersonnelfranchise.com) in Overland Park, Kan.
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