Are your staff Disengaged, Complacent or Challenged?

By Colin Wilson
Key Business Advisors Director

When we walk into a business, it is relatively easy to determine whether or not that business is enjoying success. Just by making a quick observation of all the staff members we see or interact with, we can know whether a business is facing a number of issues or is running like a well-oiled machine because it has a winning team.

A winning team consists of employees who are passionate about the business’s purpose, values and vision, most likely because those are in alignment with their own personal purpose, values and vision. A winning team’s members are always highly motivated, or Challenged – compared to some staff members who may be Complacent or even Disengaged. Are your employees Disengaged, Complacent, or Challenged?

Disengaged staff members only serve customers when they have to, and they don’t go the extra mile. They only answer the customer’s questions, don’t provide any added value or information and make no effort to build good relationships with customers – their poor body language says it all. They may tend to end up working half a day in reality or not completing their tasks because they spend a lot of time talking to others, texting or having cigarette breaks that are not work related. In short, they don’t really want to be in the business – they are only collecting a wage.

Complacent staff members, meanwhile, are “order takers.” They are not into consciously building relationships with customers or seeking to win the customers’ approval. They provide good customer service, but may not be consistent when it comes to demonstrating the WOW Factor. They’re in the business because they want to be there, but for one reason or another, they are not inquisitive about how to best serve customers and how to grow the business.

In contrast, staff members who are Challenged are motivated to work throughout all four quarters of the day. They are always on the go, highly motivated by selling, finding new opportunities, demonstrating products and services to customers, winning customers’ approval and building great customer relationships. They are “order creators” who are 100% focused on their role, providing excellent customer service and growing the business. They build advocates for life!

Staff who are engaged and highly motivated want to be challenged throughout the day, and they demand to be on a winning team. They are clear about the business’s purpose, values and vision, and they have high standards that ensure that vision is consistently achieved.

It is up to the owners/managers to ensure staff members are always challenged throughout the four quarters of the day. Managers must find out what motivates staff and must maintain high standards to inspire everyone on the team. A business cannot have high standards without clear rules, policies and processes, so make sure these are implemented and effectively communicated to all employees.

Finding and keeping staff who are highly motivated and Challenged are some of the biggest frustrations of business owners. Contact Key Business Advisors if you want to know more about recruiting, training and retaining the best staff for your business.