I have worked with many small business owners over the years. Of all the tough challenges they face there is one common struggle - managing people! I have heard it said that people leave managers not companies. I have also found this to be very true. All too often managers are put in positions of responsibility by default rather than being selected for their aptitude. This can work providing the new manager is offered training and support to make the transition, however more often than not there is little support - and so the challenges begin. This is often true of entrepreneurs. They have great ideas, drive and passion to get things done and succeed, but they lack the skills in leading a team. The business evolves around them, with little or no consideration for organisational development. Entrepreneurs who have taken that leap into self-employment, either because they came up with an amazing idea or because they are fabulous at what they do, have to make the transition into leaders - often without knowing or really understanding what that means. That is a sweeping generalisation - there are many who are natural born leaders! "You can't expect employees to exceed your customer's expectations if you don't exceed your employees' expectations of management." Howard Schultz, Founder of Starbucks Leadership and management are disciplines in themselves, take your management role seriously! There is a lot of information to learn if you want to get it right and build a successful, high performing team. Research shows that business success is down to motivated, engaged teams. There are lots of initiatives to help you to identify how engaged your teams are and these will provide great feedback for you to build a strategy to improve employee engagement. It all starts with recruiting the right people for your team. This book has been written for entrepreneurs who are recruiting their first employee and building their first team. It is ideal for small business owners who can't afford to employ an HR person and will help you to set up a basic system to attract, recruit and retain great people within your business. These simple steps will ensure you have the correct procedures in place, which if followed will help you successfully recruit a winning team. It will also help those business owners who are struggling to retain good people, giving them a framework to review their current foundations and identify where they need strengthening. By the time you have read this book you will understand what foundations you need to have in place to build great teams. You will know what systems you require to recruit and select great people, and how to keep them! Enjoy! Wendy
About the Author: I am firm but fair leader with the tenacity and determination to get through anything. I have a strong work ethic and I am passionate about enjoying what I do. With over 25 years of experience with small businesses, I have a great understanding of how businesses should run, and what it takes to build an engaged motivated team. I have a wealth of experience is in HR, Recruitment, Financial Management and Training. My expertise lies with setting up HR systems and people management, from recruitment to exit. I also enjoy mediation and resolving conflict - the more challenging the better!