MoxieWorks

3 Steps to Helping Unhappy Employees

Bad attitudes abound in business. People are unhappy, unfulfilled, inflexible, stuck, and just not right with the world. It can become so bad that the workplace can become toxic. So, what do you do if you are working with someone or have an employee that has an attitude that is less then gracious?

Be Honest. Don't beat around the bush or pretend it isn't happening. Take the person in to your office and ask them if they are happy working with you. Don't say anything else. Let them think about it and respond. We often fill up the space with our own ideas and what you are trying to do is let them weigh this idea for themselves and then articulate it.

What if they are unhappy? Ask them to think about what would make a difference in their attitude towards their work and come back to you tomorrow. Yep, more time and more silence. In all of my years managing a creative team I know that filling the time with our own words is so easy, but giving your employees time to really think about what they are looking for is what you are going after. You aren't reprimanding them, but you are letting them know that you are aware of how they are behaving and that they need to find a solution to fix it.

What happens next? You meet with them again and they tell you what they want. It might be that it is something in their personal life and they will work on that. It could be that they want more responsibility or are having trouble with a co-worker. It could also be that they are just unhappy and want to find another position. All of these are valid - and it isn't up to you to necessarily fix them, but you have the choice to work with your employee to create a "happiness" plan.

I truly believe, and this isn't a shocker, that as leaders (and ALL small business owners are leaders) what we do and how we do it effects our team, customer experience, and products. If we are unhappy everyone else is also going to be unhappy. If you are having a lot of issues with moral on your team you might need to not look outside of yourself, but start figuring out what is wrong with you. Leaders bring their own form of unhappy - and that drains down faster then the trickle that we hear so often about. Start with the top and the bottom will be brought up.

Next we will talk about working within the community and dealing with unhappy partners.

Photo Credit: Flickr user Piez

Your Attitude is Everything

What does attitude have to do with how you work? Everything. I figure it is like this, if you hate what you are doing your customers, employees, and associates are all going to know it. It comes across even if you don't say anything. Just being around someone who is unhappy is enough to give off that vibe.

Now, I'm not talking about having a bad day, unhappy. I am talking about totally disgruntled, not liking what you are doing, are frustrated, angry and don't want to clock in at all. That kind of unhappy is toxic to every workplace.

So, what do you do if it is you, how do you handle it if it is an employee, and what about working with business partners/associates who hate what they are doing?

Let's start of easy: You

If you really hate what you are doing in your own business, why are you doing it? Do you have a sense of obligation? Are people counting on you? Did you start it and not know that it wasn't going to be your thing? That can all happen and it is ok. What you need to do though is either re-frame (a fancy word used by the psychology world) your situation. Think about what you do like in your work, why you started in the first place, and how you see yourself adapting or changing your situation.

If you come up blank during that soul searching process it might be time for you to gracefully stop what you are doing. When you no longer have the seeds of passion you need to find a way out. I can't say this often enough. It is your venture, your business, your dream and if it isn't fufilling yourself let it go!

When I was working as the MarCom director of a San Francisco marketing firm they were experiencing a huge amount of change and slowly were disintegrating the office. It became an almost unbearable experience going to work and seeing the stress and frustration of the people I worked with. I knew it was time to go. I didn't know that I would fling myself half way across the country and dive into small business marketing out of my own studio at the time, but I started to the re-framing process and new that change had to happen. Getting real with yourself about your attitude towards you work is really important to self-development. If you aren't happy or at least see the benefits it become increasingly more difficult to produce good work.

If you do see how you might make changes, adapt to new passions, or even, simply, reduce the number of hours you are putting into it and you think that might make you happier by all means try it. Put a plan in place to start moving towards that direction. There is a quote that you can live longer on passion then money - and there is something to that. The soulless job does not feed you!

Tomorrow we will deal with employees and thier attitudes and how you can foster a work environment that provides an attitude adjustment.

Photo Credit:  curly_exp( l)osure

Escaping the Blame Game

First, a big hello to anyone who found me from FreelanceSwitch.com. Welcome!

It is inevitable that something might go wrong during any given day. You might get the wrong order from your supplier, the file you sent might not print correctly, your employee might be drop a tray of glasses - anything that can go wrong, as they say, might.

The thing is how do you deal with it? How do you quickly, effectively, and from your heart deal with the difficult situations, people and problems that you work with. Simple: you act with a place of true integrity and kindness, but you are firm and clear.

So, what does that mean?

Take for example the file that I sent to a client years ago for an ad in a big magazine. The ad was just what she wanted, I had worked on the design to match her branding, the copy was strong - but it printed completely fuzzy. In a HUGE magazine. My first thought was why didn't the magazine look at the art and make sure that all of their ads were printing correctly? Easy to put the blame on them, right. My second thought was that the client looked a the final print out from the magazine and they should have caught it. Blame two.

Both of those things are true, but ultimately the problem was mine. I made the mistake. I should have been the one that caught it. It was my project and I let my client down. So, instead of doing the blame game I owned up to it. I said that it was truly my mistake and that I would not charge her, I would work with the magazine to have the ad placed in the next publication, and I would recommend another marketing studio for her to work with in the future. And I said I was sorry.

They saw immediately that I had taken ownership of the issue and instead of firing me they continued to work with me and recommended me to their associates.

If I had chosen the other way, the blame game, I would have lost out in so many ways.

Working from a place that is real and knowing that I, you and the guy down the block isn't perfect is much easier. Admit your mistakes, find a remedy and move on. We will all work better for it.

Photo Credit: LevyFuLop

Pimping Your Business in Five Steps

My family recently finished watching the first season of Hung. It is about an unlikely pimp (Tanya) and her even more unlikely prostitute (Ray). Tanya decides that to go into business she needs to do a viral marketing campaign. She starts by naming their company Happiness Consultants - a name no one understands, but is fun and makes people feel good.

There is a lot we can learn from Tanya - what not to do! You may not think of yourself as a pimp for your product of business, kind of a raw term, but we are all pimping something (so much that my daughter thought I should change my title from Marketing Consultant to Pimp...)

Instead - here are Five Steps to Pimping your Business

Give It An Obvious Name: Sure, we live in a world where Zappos, Apple, and Kraft sell shoes, computers and food. That may work for multinational companies, but for the small business you would be better off being obvious. Don't expect someone to spend the time to figure it out. If you sell yarn: Yarn Barn, handmade books: Books By Hand, iphone apps: Bad Ass Apps - you get the idea, be clear and obvious in your name.

Get In Touch: Tanya on Hung has this great idea to place ads and spray paint their logo all over town, but she doesn't put anyway to contact the company - bad move. Don't make the same mistake. Your website, Etsy shop, email signature, business card and anywhere else you want to tag your business should include your business name, contact name, address, phone, email and website. If you want to get super tricky you can add your Twitter, Facebook and Skype. Tell them how to find you! If you have a brick and mortar give the address, map and directions on your website that helps someone not familiar with your corner of the world a way to find you.

Give Good Love: Pimping your product isn't just about your customers buying your stuff, it is about giving them a great experience doing that. We are all savvy shoppers now and if we think someone else is going to treat us better we will go there. So, answer your email, be nice on the phone (smile!), throw in a little extra, package it up pretty - your customers money can be spent in a million ways make sure they like spending it with you.

Toss the Old Suit: Everyone has products or services that they are still trying to make look nice and sell. Don't. Get rid of it now. You don't want to lessen your customers experience by going through your crappy stuff. Give it away, have a sale, don't offer it anymore. Only sell the very best that you have and your customers will start to see you as a place that offers quality.

Price Up, Baby: You may think in this tough economy that you should be lowering your prices (Tanya thought she should in Hung), but people will spend money on things that they perceive to have value. Do YOU value your products? Do you give good love? Do you think that you have what clients want and need? Then charge for it. If you charge too little then your customers are not going to respect what you are selling. Period. Charge what you are worth every single day - don't lower your values, products or prices.

Hung may not be your cup of tea, but the idea that you need to be out there and honest about what you are selling is really solid marketing advice. Don't get sucked into tricky. Don't think people know what you are doing - they don't. Tell them, be honest, and sell yourself with integrity and value. You know how to give good customer love, now go out and do it!

 

Events Need to Ring Cash Registers

Yesterday I had the distinct pleasure of speaking to 40 small business owners in Harrison, Arkansas as part of their CORE meeting. This group started the meeting talking about their harvest festival, upcoming events, Christmas lights, and other things that are happening for their downtown district. Each one owns and operates a small business in the district and is interested in making things work for their city and their businesses. Here are a few suggestions I had to what they are currently doing - I am sure you will see the theme.

They are planning Friday Nights in the Square where they have music and other events starting at 6PM. This is a great idea except most of the stores close and all of the county and federal workers go home at 5PM.

Instead: Start at 4PM - this is a no-brainer. Start earlier and stay till 6PM. Folks will stay downtown a little longer, shop, play and have a great time. They will not get back in their car and drive back to where they just left. It isn't going to happen - stop trying to make it happen. Get them when you have them and keep them a little longer.

Now that they are there what do you do with them? You have to get them into the shops. There is no reason to have an event if you aren't promoting shopping & dining - DO NOT HAVE AN EVENT TO HAVE AN EVENT. Seems pretty obvious, but most towns I have spoken with do not know this.

So, how do you get them into the shops?

First, be open. If a majority of your shops will stay open during the time that the event happens you will see a marked improvement in sales and participation from retailers and shoppers. Being open is the easiest thing in the universe.

Second, give something away. Have every participating shop have a sale that night, give a sample away, do a demonstration, have a prize, give a discount on an item - give something away that costs the retailer very little, but adds value to the consumer.

Third, connect the community. If Friday night is your big football night (and it is everywhere in America) then do it up with your Blue & Gold (or whatever your town's colors are) and invite the cheerleaders, host a pep rally, decorate the cars with streamers along the square, host a fund-raiser for the band, invite the band - celebrate your winning (or not so winning) team.

And last - don't make it harder then it is. Use what resources you have and create good, solid events that inevitably support your retailers. You don't have to spend a lot of money, do too many things, or create a crazy calendar of events. You just have to have the right reasons (ringing cash registers), the right timing (get them when they are there) and the right spirit!

One Small Step to Move Ahead

Sometimes when I am talking with a small business owner I stop them and ask what one thing could you do today that isn't on your everyday list of things to do to move your business forward? Sometimes they look at me like I am a crazy person. They are doing everything that they can. They don't have time or energy to do one more thing.

I disagree. They had time to chat with me. They have time to complain about the lack of sales. They have time to stand stock still behind their counter waiting for someone to come in.

Instead, what could they be doing (granted talking to me is a great idea!)? Here are a few ideas that take just a few minutes that will move your business forward.

• Make a calendar mapping out the next three months of promotions you think you might want to offer
• Talk to a neighboring or business that you currently connect with about creating a joint promotion sending them to both businesses
• Search Google to see what people are saying about you
• Fix anything that isn't accurate about your Google Local listing
• Take a Flip video of something new you have or are working on and post it on YouTube
• Email a customer and thank them for their business
• Contact a nonprofit to ask about hosting a month of donations at your business
• Get your to do list in shape
• Scout out the catalogs or window displays of larger businesses that have similar items that you carry for inspiration

The point is that we all have 15 extra minutes - especially if we stop the whining - to do something positive for our business. Pick one and try it today - move your business to the next level one step at a time.

 

A quick note: Welcome Etsy and Small Business Trends folks! Moxie is one woman, me, who left corporate America to works with small businesses, start-ups, crafters, artists, entrepreneurs, authors, etc. nationwide to go the next step.

Check in from time to time, ask me questions, or join my Facebook page - happy to help! Interested in my Etsy Special? Find out more here. - Jacqueline

 

Photo Credit: Flickr Lachlan Hardy

Small Business Owners Guide to Talking to Employees

Moving from solo entrepreneur to having just one employee or more can be a difficult process for most businesses. Mostly it is because we are used to handling it all ourselves and we don't communicate our business processes very well.

Case in point, I hired my 20 year old daughter to handle some aspects of my business this summer. She is articulate, careful, and consciences and yet we can't seem to click while we are working. We ended up frustrated and yelling at one another with her accusing me of being unorganized.

I took a deep breath and realized she was right. Though, not in the practical day to day things, but unorganized in the way I communicate with her. I need to explain what I need done, how I would like it done, when and why. I am used to working with partners who are given aspects of a project and they own it, having an employee is a whole other matter.

So, I started thinking about how I could do this better and how it could improve my business overall. Here are 5 tips to better employee communication:

1. They aren't mind readers: Most employees want to do a good job or at least the job they are paid to do, but they are not mind readers. Take time to go over the aspects of the projects, their responsibilities and how it fits into the overall scheme of things. I know a small business that has one employee and although the owner is mostly happy with how they are doing there are things that they just redo after they go home. I am sure that makes them both feel frustrated, but the owner thinks they should figure it out.
2. Be positive: They may be frustrated with thier job not knowing what to do, don't give into a negative mindset. Be positive and focus on what they need to do and how you expect it to be done.
3. Have high expectations: When you share what needs to be done let them know clearly that you expect them to be able to do the job. You wouldn't have hired them if they couldn't. Another small business owner has had employee after employee quit. When I asked why she said they were all losers and they would never get it. Well, if you think that, they never will.
4. Be honest: No one likes to be lied to. No one likes secrets. If you have news that isn't good, if there is a problem, or if you need to redirect your employee to another project tell them. Tell them as quickly and as clearly as you can.
5. Don't lecture: No one wants to sit through boring PowerPoint presentation or lectures like their momma would give, share information in a way that excites them about their place at work. Let them be part of working team, not someone who you pontificate to.

Poor communication at work causes so many issues. Your employees are confused, bored, unprepared, frustrated - you name it. And the only real cause is you. Own up to your own issues communicating, practice new skills, and start fresh with your team. Everyday is another day to try to be better. Communication clearly should be at the top of the list - I know it is on mine.

Photo Credit: Flickr Lollyman

Professional Jealousy Never Looks Good

Professional jealousy never looks good. It seems though that it runs rampant on the web. Sure, people are nice and say "yay for you" or push "Like" on your facebook status, but when you look deeper people feel left out of all the good stuff that is happening.

I know I have had my share of "why not me" moments, but I am seriously working on curbing that. I know that I have gotten more than my share of kudos over my lifetime for the work that I do and that if I keep doing good work I will get more.

Kyran on her Notes To Self blog shares: "At every level of accomplishment, lurking behind every wild dream come true, there is always a list I didn't make, a party I wasn't invited to, a person I wish would be my friend but won't, a trip that left me behind, an opportunity I wasn't offered. There is always a reason to ask, why not me? It always feels crappy."

The key is to remember that there is enough to go around for everyone. Even when you don't think that is possibly true - it is. Success is happening all over and you can get yours too. Here are six tips to curbing your jealous monster when it roars into your life:

1. Fake it: Congratulate someone when they have done a great job. Say that you are happy they landed that promotion. Get goose bumps when they share that a major outlet picked them up for a reoccurring column. Just keep doing it. Even when you aren't feeling very happy about it and you think it isn't fair keep saying that you are glad for them. Because deep inside somewhere you are happy and the more you show that you are going to start believing it.
2. Spew on paper: Write all your pathetic woe is me crap on paper and get it out. Really feel it because you do feel it intensely. Write why it isn't fair, why it should be you, why you need it more. Get it all out on paper and then shut the book.
3. Don't dwell on it: You said congraulations, you wrote about it, now let it go. I know that seems impossible, but you have to let it go or it is going to torment you. Instead of doing the amazing work that you are doing you are going to focus on why you aren't getting the rewards that everyone else is getting, turning you into a bitter Betty (or Bart). Don't dwell on it, get it out and be done with it.
4. Celebrate: if you have gone through steps 1 -3 you are ready to invite them out to tea and really celebrate their moment. That is what life is about, celebrating moments and you can do it with grace and dignity. Give them their moment to tell you how they did it and relish in their accomplishment.
5. Make the list: what could you be doing better? We all slack somewhere and if we were doing something better we might be moving faster towards our goals. Make a list - a short list of 3 things - of what you could do to improve the way you are doing your work. Now commit to just one of those things for the short term. Making this commitment to your work reinvigorates your passion for what you are doing and lets the green monster of professional jealousy find some other prey.
6. Feel grateful: Some poor schmuck, that you know, got somethign great. That means that you might actually too. The world is full of regular people doing great things and you will be able to add your name to that list too. Be grateful for being part of that melting pot of people.

In the end, don't let jealousy ruin your relationships, guide your life, or damage your work - it can, we all know bitter unhappy people. You are better than that and can move to a place where, one day, you actually can look at someone and be truly happy for their accomplishments. Until that time, fake it.

Photo Credit: Evicas (love these scenes with dolls!)

Six Tips to Getting the Rate you Deserve

I think one of the hardest things for service entrepreneurs is figuring out what to charge. Many of us were raised to believe that either the work we did wasn't worth actual money (ladies) or that we would be bragging if we asked for too much.

When I first started my marketing studio I was desperate to get work. This is not the best place to be when you are deciding on your rates. I would take jobs that were difficult and time consuming and charge a quarter of what they would be worth in a full fledged marketing firm. A pittance. I just didn't think, starting out, that I could justify asking for what the actual going rate was. What a HUGE mistake. I got clients who were nit-picky, but complained about money. I got projects that were huge time suckers that I just ate. Basically, I got what I put out there. I learned my lesson, here are my tips.

Six Tips to Getting the Rate you Deserve

• Charge based on the level of your expertise: I had 15 years of design and marketing experience but I was charging the rates of a newcomer to the field. Ridiculous. Those years that you slaved away for some corporation are valuable - you learned vital skills and information that you are going to share with your new clients. Charge accordingly. Sure, you don't have the overhead that your large company had so you will be less, but you will not be worth less.
• Charge based on region: When I moved from the Bay Area to the South I set my rates to fit my new geography. I am still high, compared to some of my local providers, but I believe I bring that West Coast advantage.
• Check out the competition: What are others in your field charging? Go online and look at rates (Guru.com and Elance.com are a good place to see this), join groups and associations. Knowing what other people charge will help you understand the range of rates. You can be at the top or the bottom, that is your choice.
• Have clear working policies: One problem with setting your rates is that you may not be telling your clients how you intend to work on their projects. Do you want to meet every week? Are you making unlimited changes or are you doing 3 and charging for anything in excess? When you clients understand your policies you can charge for exactly what you are going to do.
• Know how much you need: When you are first starting you may not realize how much money you need to be successful. Start by figuring out your costs of doing business (rent, phone, internet, site, marketing, licenses, dues, etc.) then figure out what you need to cover the rest of your life. This gets a little complicated but there are some great resources to help you understand the formula.
• Be worth it: The bottom line is that you have to do good work consistently and value the work that you do to charge the rates that you need. Believe in yourself, have others believe in you, and get what you are worth.

Photo Credit: DavidDMuir

6 Business Lessons Learned from Small Town Living

I live in a very small town. By choice. And some of the things that I have learned about work I have learned from living here. Granted, when I came from my big city job in San Francisco to the small southern town I thought I knew it all, or at least a lot. But I have learned plenty just by being here.

• Be nice. Not fake nice, like I thought Southern people would be like, but really nice. Compliment people, bring them pies, welcome them into your life and your community. When I am doing business with someone I remember that the authentic nice quality goes further then bees fly home for honey, it feels good for me and it feels good for them.
• Trust people. Last time I went for a meeting at a local cafe I forgot my money. I had ordered a pot of the best Earl Grey tea, that the waitress knew I wanted before I sat down, and went to pay I was so embarrassed. Her answer, pay next time. It was a big lesson for me that we can trust people to do the right thing. We don't have to second guess everyone and with that comes a sense of calm. (Not only did I pay next time, but I tipped well too.)
• Don't gossip. Well, our town could sure learn a lesson on gossip, but I know that it damages reputations, skews how people see things, and just causes mayhem.
  
  
• Don't hold a grudge. There are people in my town that can remember when their neighbor ran over the edge of their grass, pulled their hair in 3rd grade, or forgot to send a thank you card for the casserole. Well, those little grievances tend to make it hard to work together. Figure out how to let it go and forgive.
  
  "Help establish a culture of forgiveness. If you are a leader, there are many initiatives you can take to set the right tone when it comes to forgiveness. Encourage the practice of kindness and grace by modeling forgiveness yourself and create a shame-free environment that makes it safe for people to admit to mistakes without the threat of repercussions," says Bruna Martinuzzi in her latest post for OPEN
  
• Don't expect everyone to like you. I don't know about you, but I want people to like the work I do and it is an added bonus if they like me too. (Being a Yankee in the South, this has been an uphill battle.) The truth is that not everyone is going to understand what you are doing, celebrate it, or even give a rats... So, get over it. Keep doing good work and move away from the constant need to be liked by your neighbors.
  
  
• Celebrate the unique. Everyone has something special to bring to the table. The folks that you work with or your customers might not be the people that you would want to bring to dinner, but they offer you an opportunity to grow your perspective everyday. Take a moment to consider their unique gifts and celebrate them.

Living in a small town isn't for everyone, and often I wonder if it is for me, but I believe that even those of us living it large in mega spaces actually have formed small communities. Look around and see how they influence, for the good and the bad, how you do business. You might be surprised at the pleasure of getting to know your neighbors and the gifts they offer.