Healthy Whip, Healthy Workplace
You’ve gotten rid of the ping pong table and blow up pool that have been sitting in your garage since summer, the floor has been swept and you’ve made room to bring that shiny bad boy home.
The first six months are absolute bliss, every morning you open the door and are hit with that intoxicating new car smell.
You treat it meticulously and go through the car wash once a week and god forbid would you allow the kids to chomp down on a six-pack of nuggets or slurp on a thick shake in the back seat.
The weekly car wash turns into once a month, this is the beginning of the end and triggers an avalanche of issues, you become complacent and forget to service it.
Things start to unravel, the windscreen gets a crack, the air fresheners are hanging in record numbers from the rear-view mirror and still, there is a stench in the air.
Yes, there could be a warranty issue, not every car is perfect. Don’t point the finger and blame the dealership or the fuel you’ve been putting in the tank.
Get back on track and start treating that pride and joy with the love and respect that it deserves.
Keep the servicing up, fill it with the best fuel available, wash it on the regular and listen out for any signs that it may require further attention.
Much like kicking off a new employee, you’ve bought a new chair, a flash new computer, tidied the office and made the space as welcoming as possible.
The first few months you’re constantly getting around them, ensuring that they have all the tools that are required, and you consistently catch up with them to make them feel welcomed and supported.
You’re in the honeymoon period and everything is rainbows and skittles.
You brag to your buddies about how good they are and that you’ve found another gem that’s going to take your business to the next level.
Then over time, you start to take things for granted, the catch up’s diminish and you assume that they know their role and that they’re happy. Assumptions are the mother of all f**k ups!
Sooner than later they blend into the environment and without you knowing start to feel unloved, they feed their mind with the wrong fuel and negativity creeps in and the cracks begin to appear.
Instead of taking ownership and acknowledging that you’ve dropped the ball, you blame other people in your business and bury your head in the sand.
However, all hope is not lost!
Make the changes that are required, take action straight away and don’t let this happen again. Step up and take full ownership, enough of pointing the finger.
Put systems in place and never become complacent, go back to basics. Don’t run a business where it’s all bells and whistles from the outset and this fades over time. That is a recipe that will send you to retention hell.
You already have impressive people, be grateful, never take them for granted and you won’t have any warranty issues.
Step up, be a true leader and watch your business soar.