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<title>Business-Building Information</title>
<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://businessknowledgesource.com/" />
<modified>2009-11-15T12:12:21Z</modified>
<tagline>Business information, articles and resources to help you build your sales and profits.</tagline>
<id>tag:businessknowledgesource.com,2009://1</id>
<generator url="http://www.movabletype.org/" version="3.36">Movable Type</generator>
<copyright>Copyright (c) 2009, DK</copyright>
<entry>
<title>Top tips on delegating</title>
<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://businessknowledgesource.com/blog/top_tips_on_delegating_029581.html" />
<modified>2009-11-15T12:12:21Z</modified>
<issued>2009-11-15T12:10:00Z</issued>
<id>tag:businessknowledgesource.com,2009://1.29581</id>
<created>2009-11-15T12:10:00Z</created>
<summary type="text/plain"> Here are the top tips you can follow when choosing to delegate work in the workplace. Tip one: Once your employees have successfully completed the job or project that you have given them you will want to recognize their...</summary>
<author>
<name>DK</name>

<email>don@greatresults.com</email>
</author>
<dc:subject>Business Planning</dc:subject>
<content type="text/html" mode="escaped" xml:lang="en" xml:base="http://businessknowledgesource.com/">
<![CDATA[<p><img alt="groupofmenatlunch30338711.jpg" src="http://businessknowledgesource.com/images/groupofmenatlunch30338711.jpg" width="175" height="144" align="left" style="border:3px solid #e7e7e7;margin-right:10px" /></p>

<p>Here are the top tips you can follow when choosing to delegate work in the workplace.</p>

<p><strong>Tip one:</strong></p>

<p>Once your employees have successfully completed the job or project that you have given them you will want to recognize their success. You can recognize their success by giving them credit for a job well done and for praising them for getting the task competed. Employees enjoy hearing positive feedback to the work that they are doing because it makes them feel better about themselves, and they will be more likely to take on more responsibility if you reward them for what they have done.<br />
</p>]]>
<![CDATA[<p><strong><br />
Tip two:</strong></p>

<p>When you are delegating projects to your employees, you will want to keep a record of what projects you have delegated and whom you have delegated them to. This will help you stay organized and will help you track the various projects that are going on. When recording down the job and who you delegated it to you will also want to include the status of the job and update it as you get feedback from employees.<br />
<strong><br />
Tip three:</strong></p>

<p>You need to put a system into place that will allow your employees to provide you with feedback on the projects, but you want to make sure that you set up a system that will not cause you to be interrupted numerous times throughout the day. One thing that you can do is to set up meetings on specific dates that will allow your employees to provide you with feedback on a regular basis. If an emergency comes up you will need to be available to help your employees so that no further problems develop and everything can stay on task, emergencies are worth the interruptions.</p>

<p><strong>Tip four:</strong></p>

<p>Whom you delegate the tasks to is going to determine how much space you give the person to complete the task. If you are delegating the task to somebody that you know is capable of handling the task you can give him or her free rein. You can allow the person to use their imagination and do things differently because you know they will get the results that you are looking for in the end. If you are delegating the work to somebody to give them, some extra responsibilities and are not sure if they are up for the task you will need to provide them with closer supervision.</p>

<p><strong>Tip five:</strong></p>

<p>If you are delegating your work because you do not have enough time to do the work yourself it probably means you do not have enough time to give out explicit instructions. If this is the case, you are going to want to assign the work to an employee that does not require a lot of babysitting. You want to give the work to somebody who will be able to get the work done with minimal directions because they have done the work before or have had similar assignments before.</p>

<p><strong>Tip six:</strong></p>

<p>Always make yourself available for questions that people might have. If people are not sure how to complete a certain part of the task you will want to be available to give them advice on how it should be done. This is important because even though you have delegated the work to somebody else you are still responsible for the results, so you want to make sure everything is done right.</p>

<p><strong>Tip seven:</strong></p>

<p>Give a realistic deadline for when the project needs to be completed. You should also talk to the person you are assigning the project to, to make sure that the deadline you are setting is something that works for them. When setting the deadline make sure you provide them with the specifics of what needs to be done and a schedule of when you will want them to check in with you so you can see how things are going.</p>]]>
</content>
</entry>
<entry>
<title>Tips on delegating work and responsibility</title>
<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://businessknowledgesource.com/blog/tips_on_delegating_work_and_responsibility_029580.html" />
<modified>2009-11-14T12:12:20Z</modified>
<issued>2009-11-14T12:10:00Z</issued>
<id>tag:businessknowledgesource.com,2009://1.29580</id>
<created>2009-11-14T12:10:00Z</created>
<summary type="text/plain"> Delegating work and responsibility is not something that everybody can do. One reason that business mangers do not like delegating work and responsibility is because they no longer have control. If they are going to delegate work and responsibility...</summary>
<author>
<name>DK</name>

<email>don@greatresults.com</email>
</author>
<dc:subject>Business Performance Management</dc:subject>
<content type="text/html" mode="escaped" xml:lang="en" xml:base="http://businessknowledgesource.com/">
<![CDATA[<p><img alt="portfolio71367089.jpg" src="http://businessknowledgesource.com/images/portfolio71367089.jpg" width="175" height="116" align="left" style="border:3px solid #e7e7e7;margin-right:10px" /></p>

<p>Delegating work and responsibility is not something that everybody can do. One reason that business mangers do not like delegating work and responsibility is because they no longer have control. If they are going to delegate work and responsibility to an employee, the manger no longer has full control over what is being done with the project. Another reason that business mangers do not like to delegate work to other employees is that they are afraid that the employees are not going to be able to do the job right. Doing the job right is important because even if the business manger delegates the work to somebody else the business manger is still ultimately responsible for the outcome of the work. Being responsible for the outcome goes hand in hand with being in control, if you are going to be responsible for the outcome regardless of who does the work you may as well do the work yourself so that you know it is being done right.<br />
</p>]]>
<![CDATA[<p><br />
Delegating work can actually be a win-win situation for both parties involved, but it has to be done correctly. When delegating work to other employees you must make sure that, you choose the right person for the job. Choosing the right person for the job is going to allow the job to be completed as efficiently as possible and as quickly as possible. Here are some tips to keep in mind when delegating work to your employees.</p>

<p><strong>Tip one:</strong></p>

<p>As the business owner, you are going to need to give other people in your business authority to handle things when you are not around. This is important because if you are not around to make decisions for your business somebody else needs to make those decisions so work can continue as normal. When delegating authority to other people you want to make sure you are clear with what type of authority they have. For example, will they be authorized to grant overtime hours to employees or is that's something that can only be granted through you.</p>

<p><strong>Tip two:</strong></p>

<p>You do not want to delegate work to just any of your employees. When it comes to delegating work, you want to make sure that the people you are delegating work to be responsible and competent in the areas that they will be working in. For example, if you are going to have somebody fill in for you as a manager while you are on vacation you want to choose somebody who has management skills so that you are comfortable that everything will get done in your absence.</p>

<p><strong>Tip three:</strong></p>

<p>Make sure that you are clear about what you are delegating to each person. Include the specific details about what the person is going to be responsible for. This is important because when people are in charge of doing something they want to know what they are in charge of so that they can ensure that all of the work is done. Knowing what they have to be done will allow them to plan what they need to do and get approval ahead of time if necessary.</p>

<p><strong>Tip four:</strong></p>

<p>Even when you are delegating work to other employees, it is important that you maintain control. The best way to maintain control over the work, that you have delegated is to hold the person responsible for the outcome of the assignment. When you have assigned somebody to complete a task and it is messed up the person in charge of completing the task needs to be held accountable for what went wrong. Even though you are holding them responsible you still need to check in with them to ensure that things are going smoothly, which will help you keep control over what is going on. Having regular meetings is a great way to monitor what is being done and what still needs to be done.</p>]]>
</content>
</entry>
<entry>
<title>Tips for effectively managing virtual teams</title>
<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://businessknowledgesource.com/blog/tips_for_effectively_managing_virtual_teams_029579.html" />
<modified>2009-11-13T12:12:28Z</modified>
<issued>2009-11-13T12:05:00Z</issued>
<id>tag:businessknowledgesource.com,2009://1.29579</id>
<created>2009-11-13T12:05:00Z</created>
<summary type="text/plain"> As a team leader you no longer only have to worry about managing teams at your workplace, you also have to worry about managing virtual teams. The reason for this is that with the introduction of the internet businesses...</summary>
<author>
<name>DK</name>

<email>don@greatresults.com</email>
</author>
<dc:subject>Teamwork</dc:subject>
<content type="text/html" mode="escaped" xml:lang="en" xml:base="http://businessknowledgesource.com/">
<![CDATA[<p><img alt="laptop30347367.jpg" src="http://businessknowledgesource.com/images/laptop30347367.jpg" width="83" height="125" align="left" style="border:3px solid #e7e7e7;margin-right:10px" /></p>

<p>As a team leader you no longer only have to worry about managing teams at your workplace, you also have to worry about managing virtual teams. The reason for this is that with the introduction of the internet businesses are now able to hire people from all around the world. With how far apart people can live not only do you have the complications involved in managing a workplace team, but you also have the complications of managing a team that is spread apart.</p>

<p>Here are some tips you can use to help effectively manage virtual teams in the workplace.<br />
</p>]]>
<![CDATA[<p><br />
<strong>Tip one:</strong></p>

<p>Make sure that you are taking advantage of the appropriate technologies, including making use of collaborative software. Some of the more popular software that you can use is PlaceWare, WebEx, Lotus Notes, and NetMeeting. You can also use video conferencing, but it can be on the more expensive side so you only want to use it if it is offered at a reasonable cost in your area. Using video conferencing and collaborative software is the most common forms of communication that you can use to keep in touch with your team members and to hold meetings with all of the team members. Having face-to-face meetings is important for virtual teams because it makes people feel like they are part of the group; it gives them a sense of belonging and allows them to feel connected to other workers.</p>

<p><strong>Tip two:</strong></p>

<p>You will also need to have one on one meeting with the members of your team. This is important because it will allow you to focus on one person at a time so that you can listen to what they have to say. This can also help you to solve any problems that might have come up with your team members; you can also cater to their individual needs when having one on one meeting. You want to schedule these on a regular basis, so that you don't lose sight of what is going on, which is easy to do when managing a team across the country. You can handle these meetings over the phone or face-to-face, whichever method is more convenient for your organization.<br />
<strong><br />
Tip three:</strong></p>

<p>Using email on a regular basis is important when managing a virtual team because it allows you to instantly communicate with members of your team. This is important because you want to confer with your team members at least once a day so that you can discuss any upcoming issues, projects or any new developments that might be coming up. Talking to each other at least once a day is important because it means that people will not be surprised by things coming out in the future, they will be able to handle things as planned. If an urgent issue comes up suddenly or there is a major concern you can contact each other by phone, which cuts down on the wait time because you won't have to wait for the other person to check their email and respond. When using the phone it is important to know what time zones people are in, so that you only place phone calls when it is considered an appropriate time.</p>

<p><strong>Tip four:</strong></p>

<p>You will want to create a database repository for your team. This is important because it will allow your team to have a central location to share information and knowledge about what they are working on. In the shared database, you also want to make sure that all communication is kept in a folder, so that there is a record of what has transpired. This can allow new team members to study what has been done before so they can learn from past mistakes.</p>]]>
</content>
</entry>
<entry>
<title>Successfully managing a new team</title>
<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://businessknowledgesource.com/blog/successfully_managing_a_new_team_029578.html" />
<modified>2009-11-12T12:12:30Z</modified>
<issued>2009-11-12T12:05:00Z</issued>
<id>tag:businessknowledgesource.com,2009://1.29578</id>
<created>2009-11-12T12:05:00Z</created>
<summary type="text/plain"> Here are the steps that you will need to follow when managing a team in the workplace. Step one: You are going to need to identify all of your team goals. The best way to go about doing this...</summary>
<author>
<name>DK</name>

<email>don@greatresults.com</email>
</author>
<dc:subject>Teamwork</dc:subject>
<content type="text/html" mode="escaped" xml:lang="en" xml:base="http://businessknowledgesource.com/">
<![CDATA[<p><img alt="businessnegoations19314770.jpg" src="http://businessknowledgesource.com/images/businessnegoations19314770.jpg" width="83" height="125" align="left" style="border:3px solid #e7e7e7;margin-right:10px" /></p>

<p>Here are the steps that you will need to follow when managing a team in the workplace.</p>

<p><strong>Step one:</strong></p>

<p>You are going to need to identify all of your team goals. The best way to go about doing this is to meet with your supervisors to find out what they expect from your team. You are going to need to make sure that you understand what you are going to be responsible for, but you also want to find out how your supervisors are going to measure the performance of your team. To ensure that you know what is expected of you and your teams you need to write down the important goals and measurement methods that your supervisors want you to use make sure you get their agreement after writing this information down. This information is also useful alter one when you are doing performance reviews and trying to get raises for you and your team.</p>]]>
<![CDATA[<p><br />
<strong>Step two:</strong></p>

<p>Determine all of the team members' strengths and weaknesses. To determine their strengths and weaknesses you will want to meet with each team member individually and talk with them. You can also observe their work habits to get a clearer picture of their strengths and weaknesses. In meeting with them you will also want to talk to them about what they like about working with certain people and about work in general because it will give you an idea about the management styles that they work well with and vice versa.</p>

<p><strong>Step three:</strong></p>

<p>As soon as you have gathered, all of the information that you will need for supervising your team you will want to hold a team meeting. The meeting should be used to help build enthusiasm for the team and to encourage team spirit so that everybody will look forward to working together and enjoy working together. During the meeting, you are going to want to explain to each of your team members what their responsibilities are and what goals they have to meet to be part of the team.<br />
<strong><br />
Step four:</strong></p>

<p>Even though you have just taken charge of the team you are going to want to identify whom your replacement is, just in case you are sick or out on vacation. When identifying your replacement, you are going to want to use somebody who is currently on the team because they will know everything that is going on already; they will not have to play catch up.</p>

<p><strong>Step five:</strong></p>

<p>Once you have decided who is going to act as your replacement you are going to want to start training them. You want to give those jobs and assignments that are going to give them more responsibility. One way to do that is to give them some management responsibility over a sub-team. You will also want to train the rest of your team about what they should be doing; you can even give them more responsibility so that they start taking more pride in their work. </p>

<p><strong>Step six:</strong></p>

<p>Schedule regular meetings with your team members so that you can communicate about what is going on. Having regular meetings will allow you to talk about any problems that are going on with job assignments or any concerns that your team members have. Knowing about them early will allow you to take the appropriate steps to handle the problem before it gets out of control.</p>

<p><strong>Step seven:</strong></p>

<p>Finally, you are going to need to watch out for any changes at the business that might affect your team. This can include new projects, projects that are being canceled, cutbacks on staff, among others. To stay in the loop you are going to have to stay in contact with people in management and human resources, so you can be made aware of any new situations as they occur.</p>]]>
</content>
</entry>
<entry>
<title>Succeeding as a team manager</title>
<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://businessknowledgesource.com/blog/succeeding_as_a_team_manager_029577.html" />
<modified>2009-11-11T12:12:14Z</modified>
<issued>2009-11-11T12:00:00Z</issued>
<id>tag:businessknowledgesource.com,2009://1.29577</id>
<created>2009-11-11T12:00:00Z</created>
<summary type="text/plain"> Here are some tips to keep in mind to help you succeed as a team manager. Tip one: You are going to want to focus strictly on the facts. This rule is probably the one that you are going...</summary>
<author>
<name>DK</name>

<email>don@greatresults.com</email>
</author>
<dc:subject>Teamwork</dc:subject>
<content type="text/html" mode="escaped" xml:lang="en" xml:base="http://businessknowledgesource.com/">
<![CDATA[<p><img alt="businessmeeting30381062.jpg" src="http://businessknowledgesource.com/images/businessmeeting30381062.jpg" width="175" height="117" align="left" style="border:3px solid #e7e7e7;margin-right:10px" /></p>

<p>Here are some tips to keep in mind to help you succeed as a team manager.<br />
<strong><br />
Tip one:</strong></p>

<p>You are going to want to focus strictly on the facts. This rule is probably the one that you are going to have the hardest time with because of how easy it is for us to be sidetracked by gossip and rumors about other people. The problem is that if you do not focus on the facts and find yourself being swept away by rumors it can have disastrous consequences. You want to focus on reality, not on what you wanted to see happen, but on what actually happened. When talking to other people and dealing with issues you want to separate the facts from the opinions so that you are prepared to deal with what is going on. Staying focused on the facts allows you to evaluate data based on its factual content, rather than on the source of the information.<br />
</p>]]>
<![CDATA[<p><br />
<strong>Tip two:</strong></p>

<p>When it comes to managing a team, you will need to be the person who is providing some type of stability for the time. The best way to do this is to be a problem solver rather than a problem maker. You are going to need to figure out what information you need to block out, meaning what is factual information and what is just noise. What you will want to do is to look at every new situation and take in the information that is being presented to you. Once you have had time to absorb the information you will want to make a decision about the appropriate action that you should take. This technique is also referred to as providing a measured response, which is your best choice when managing a team. There will be certain situations that require you to act quickly, which means you won't have time to think, you will only be able to act. These situations are not as common, but you will learn to recognize them for what they are.</p>

<p><strong>Tip three:</strong></p>

<p>As a team leader you need to stay away from assumptions, you cannot be paranoid about anything. If you are paranoid or assume the wrong thing, you are going to end up coming to the wrong conclusion. Coming to the wrong conclusion can cause many problems for both you and your team members, not to mention that it can cause people's feelings to get hurt. When you are dealing with something that has gone wrong in your team do not assume that somebody did it on purpose to hurt you, error on the side of incompetence and give people another chance. If it was done intentionally, they will soon make the same "mistake" again and you can take different measures when dealing with the problem.</p>

<p><strong>Tip four:</strong></p>

<p>When dealing with people you need to have a sense of humor, rather than being serious all of the time. There is a time and a place to be serious, just as there is a time and a place to be humorous. If you are always, serious people are not going to view you as an effective leader because they will think that you are perfect and can never laugh at anything. Being able to laugh at your own mistakes, no matter how much it hurts, will help you become a more effective team leader. This also goes along the lines of having something to do besides think about your job. You need to have some other kind of life to live so that you can effectively lead your team.</p>

<p> </p>]]>
</content>
</entry>
<entry>
<title>Sick leave policy</title>
<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://businessknowledgesource.com/blog/sick_leave_policy_029575.html" />
<modified>2009-11-10T12:12:28Z</modified>
<issued>2009-11-10T12:00:00Z</issued>
<id>tag:businessknowledgesource.com,2009://1.29575</id>
<created>2009-11-10T12:00:00Z</created>
<summary type="text/plain"> Most business does not have any kind of sick leave policy in effect because they are worried that their employees are going to take advantage of the sick leave policy. Studies have been done that show employers who provide...</summary>
<author>
<name>DK</name>

<email>don@greatresults.com</email>
</author>
<dc:subject>Policy</dc:subject>
<content type="text/html" mode="escaped" xml:lang="en" xml:base="http://businessknowledgesource.com/">
<![CDATA[<p><img alt="blowingnose22967527.jpg" src="http://businessknowledgesource.com/images/blowingnose22967527.jpg" width="41" height="125" align="left" style="border:3px solid #e7e7e7;margin-right:10px" /></p>

<p>Most business does not have any kind of sick leave policy in effect because they are worried that their employees are going to take advantage of the sick leave policy. Studies have been done that show employers who provide their employees with a clear sick leave policy have healthier employees because employees are not afraid to stay home when they are sick. These studies have also shown that the employees rarely abuse the sick leave policy because they know what they can expect if that happens.</p>

<p>Here are some tips for you to follow when creating a sick leave policy for your business.<br />
</p>]]>
<![CDATA[<p><strong><br />
Tip one:</strong></p>

<p>You are not required by federal law to provide your employees with any paid time off. You do not need to offer paid leave for when your employees are sick, some states will require that you provide your employees with sick leave, but it doesn't have to be paid. Federal law will affect your sick leave policy, so be sure to consult with the various regulations for business. For example, you will want to consult the Family and Medical Leave Act when creating a sick policy because it most likely applies to your place of business.<br />
<strong><br />
Tip two:</strong></p>

<p>When creating the sick leave policy you want to state clearly in the policy what is expected from your employees. In creating a clear sick leave policy, you want to state what it is they can and can't do when it comes to taking time off for being sick. You need to clearly state the difference between sick leave and vacation. If you plan to allow your employees to use vacation days, for sick leave that needs to be stated in the policy. The policy will need to include whether you plan to pay them for any sick leave they use and how many days off you will provide them with pay for being sick. You will also need to state what your employees will have to do in order to qualify for sick leave, such as be employed with your business for a specific length of time or they need to provide a doctor's note stating that they have been seen by a doctor.<br />
<strong><br />
Tip three:</strong></p>

<p>Your policy will also need to include the specific information about what is going to happen if they abuse the sick leave policy. You will want to clearly state any disciplinary measures that your business will take if the rules for the sick leave policy are not followed or if people are found to be abusing the system. For example, you might include a verbal warning on the behavior for the first offense and a write up for the second offense. By clearly stating what will happen to your employees if they do not follow the rules and begin to abuse the sick leave policy, you are lowering the chances of your employees abusing the policy.</p>

<p><strong>Tip four:</strong></p>

<p>You will want to enforce what you have written down in your sick leave policy. For example, if you require a doctor's note from your employees to receive the sick leave you will want to collect the doctor's note and place it in their file when they return to work. Just remember that if you require a note from a doctor's office it will be a generic note because of the new HIPAA laws that have been passed to protect people's personal information. You also need to ensure that you are following through with the appropriate disciplinary action if your employees are abusing the policy. Showing your employees that you are going to follow through with the policy that is in place will further discourage employees from taking advantage of the sick leave policy. <br />
</p>]]>
</content>
</entry>
<entry>
<title>Sick leave policy</title>
<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://businessknowledgesource.com/blog/sick_leave_policy_029576.html" />
<modified>2009-11-10T12:12:30Z</modified>
<issued>2009-11-10T12:00:00Z</issued>
<id>tag:businessknowledgesource.com,2009://1.29576</id>
<created>2009-11-10T12:00:00Z</created>
<summary type="text/plain"> Most business does not have any kind of sick leave policy in effect because they are worried that their employees are going to take advantage of the sick leave policy. Studies have been done that show employers who provide...</summary>
<author>
<name>DK</name>

<email>don@greatresults.com</email>
</author>
<dc:subject>Policy</dc:subject>
<content type="text/html" mode="escaped" xml:lang="en" xml:base="http://businessknowledgesource.com/">
<![CDATA[<p><img alt="blowingnose22967527.jpg" src="http://businessknowledgesource.com/images/blowingnose22967527.jpg" width="41" height="125" align="left" style="border:3px solid #e7e7e7;margin-right:10px" /></p>

<p>Most business does not have any kind of sick leave policy in effect because they are worried that their employees are going to take advantage of the sick leave policy. Studies have been done that show employers who provide their employees with a clear sick leave policy have healthier employees because employees are not afraid to stay home when they are sick. These studies have also shown that the employees rarely abuse the sick leave policy because they know what they can expect if that happens.</p>

<p>Here are some tips for you to follow when creating a sick leave policy for your business.<br />
</p>]]>
<![CDATA[<p><strong><br />
Tip one:</strong></p>

<p>You are not required by federal law to provide your employees with any paid time off. You do not need to offer paid leave for when your employees are sick, some states will require that you provide your employees with sick leave, but it doesn't have to be paid. Federal law will affect your sick leave policy, so be sure to consult with the various regulations for business. For example, you will want to consult the Family and Medical Leave Act when creating a sick policy because it most likely applies to your place of business.<br />
<strong><br />
Tip two:</strong></p>

<p>When creating the sick leave policy you want to state clearly in the policy what is expected from your employees. In creating a clear sick leave policy, you want to state what it is they can and can't do when it comes to taking time off for being sick. You need to clearly state the difference between sick leave and vacation. If you plan to allow your employees to use vacation days, for sick leave that needs to be stated in the policy. The policy will need to include whether you plan to pay them for any sick leave they use and how many days off you will provide them with pay for being sick. You will also need to state what your employees will have to do in order to qualify for sick leave, such as be employed with your business for a specific length of time or they need to provide a doctor's note stating that they have been seen by a doctor.<br />
<strong><br />
Tip three:</strong></p>

<p>Your policy will also need to include the specific information about what is going to happen if they abuse the sick leave policy. You will want to clearly state any disciplinary measures that your business will take if the rules for the sick leave policy are not followed or if people are found to be abusing the system. For example, you might include a verbal warning on the behavior for the first offense and a write up for the second offense. By clearly stating what will happen to your employees if they do not follow the rules and begin to abuse the sick leave policy, you are lowering the chances of your employees abusing the policy.</p>

<p><strong>Tip four:</strong></p>

<p>You will want to enforce what you have written down in your sick leave policy. For example, if you require a doctor's note from your employees to receive the sick leave you will want to collect the doctor's note and place it in their file when they return to work. Just remember that if you require a note from a doctor's office it will be a generic note because of the new HIPAA laws that have been passed to protect people's personal information. You also need to ensure that you are following through with the appropriate disciplinary action if your employees are abusing the policy. Showing your employees that you are going to follow through with the policy that is in place will further discourage employees from taking advantage of the sick leave policy. <br />
</p>]]>
</content>
</entry>
<entry>
<title>Rules your business needs for great workplace relationships</title>
<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://businessknowledgesource.com/blog/rules_your_business_needs_for_great_workplace_relationships_029574.html" />
<modified>2009-11-09T12:12:22Z</modified>
<issued>2009-11-09T12:00:00Z</issued>
<id>tag:businessknowledgesource.com,2009://1.29574</id>
<created>2009-11-09T12:00:00Z</created>
<summary type="text/plain"> At your place of business, the one thing that you want to have is a great working relationship with all of your employees. Having a great working relationship with your employees is essential to running a successful business because...</summary>
<author>
<name>DK</name>

<email>don@greatresults.com</email>
</author>
<dc:subject>Business Planning</dc:subject>
<content type="text/html" mode="escaped" xml:lang="en" xml:base="http://businessknowledgesource.com/">
<![CDATA[<p><img alt="highfives10054971.jpg" src="http://businessknowledgesource.com/images/highfives10054971.jpg" width="80" height="125" align="left" style="border:3px solid #e7e7e7;margin-right:10px" /></p>

<p>At your place of business, the one thing that you want to have is a great working relationship with all of your employees. Having a great working relationship with your employees is essential to running a successful business because it means that you have trust among your employees. Having a great working relationship with your employees can also increase your businesses productivity because your employees are happy, and if they are not happy, they know they can talk to you about what is going on and trust that you will get things taken care of.</p>

<p>Here are some rules that you will need to follow to develop that great working relationship with your employees.<br />
</p>]]>
<![CDATA[<p><br />
<strong>Rule one: Open communication</strong></p>

<p>You want to have an open door policy. This is going to encourage your employees to come and talk to you when things aren't going good, it can also help you talk to your employees about things that might be good or bad. Having an open door policy will allow the communication between you and your employees to improve because you both feel like you can talk to each other. This will allow you to get important information to your employees quickly, but your employees can also provide you with feedback just as quickly. </p>

<p><strong>Rule two: Positive thinking</strong></p>

<p>When it comes to work there is a lot of stuff to stress about, such as the down turned economy and people not spending money, but stressing about this stuff is not going to help change things at work. With how the economy is affecting businesses people are having a hard time at home to, which can make positive thinking hard. Positive thinking needs to be a big part of your work attitude because nobody wants to work with somebody who is going to be complaining all of the time. The best way to think positive at work is to leave your personal problems at home.</p>

<p><strong>Rule three: Constructive criticism</strong></p>

<p>When you have to deal with your employees on certain issues, you want to use constructive criticism rather than accusing them or demeaning them. Constructive criticism comes into use when you are training your employees, coaching them, and talking to them about their performances. If you demean your employees all you are doing is destroying their self-esteem.<br />
<strong><br />
Rule four: Improve teamwork</strong></p>

<p>No matter what type of business you are running teamwork is a big part of business because your employees must work together to get the job done. For example, your sales associates must work together with management to so that all of the work is accomplished throughout the day. When it comes to teamwork each person is responsible for his or her individual job assignments, but it is always nice to help the others when you are done. In some cases, working in teams is required to get the job done so their needs to be a team leader for those purposes, such as a supervisor. When choosing a team leader you want to choose somebody who is qualified for the job because they have had prior leadership experience. You also want to choose somebody who can listen, empathize, and respond accordingly, depending on what the situation merits.</p>

<p><strong>Rule five: Respect</strong></p>

<p>If you want your employees to respect you, the first thing that you will need to do is to respect your employees. Both you and your employees will need to understand the boundaries of the relationship and respect those boundaries. You want to avoid being disrespectful by never interrupting somebody when they are talking, simply listen to them. Everybody will also need to act appropriately and professionally within the workplace.</p>]]>
</content>
</entry>
<entry>
<title>Office romance policies</title>
<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://businessknowledgesource.com/blog/office_romance_policies_029573.html" />
<modified>2009-11-08T13:12:23Z</modified>
<issued>2009-11-08T12:20:00Z</issued>
<id>tag:businessknowledgesource.com,2009://1.29573</id>
<created>2009-11-08T12:20:00Z</created>
<summary type="text/plain"> Something that you might find surprising is that not every employer has an office romance policy, although most have a sexual harassment policy in effect. When it comes to workplace romance, most people tend to frown on people who...</summary>
<author>
<name>DK</name>

<email>don@greatresults.com</email>
</author>
<dc:subject>Policy</dc:subject>
<content type="text/html" mode="escaped" xml:lang="en" xml:base="http://businessknowledgesource.com/">
<![CDATA[<p><img alt="manandwomanatendofhall32810136.jpg" src="http://businessknowledgesource.com/images/manandwomanatendofhall32810136.jpg" width="83" height="125" align="left" style="border:3px solid #e7e7e7;margin-right:10px" /></p>

<p>Something that you might find surprising is that not every employer has an office romance policy, although most have a sexual harassment policy in effect. When it comes to workplace romance, most people tend to frown on people who are having the office romance to further their career or who are simply having an extramarital affair. If people are serious about dating and building a relationship that can go, further most co-workers approve that type of office romance. </p>

<p>With how many problems office romances can cause it is important for your business to have a policy in effect that covers work place romances. Here are some things to do to help address office romances in your business so that they do not cause problems.<br />
</p>]]>
<![CDATA[<p><br />
<strong>Number one: Provide training</strong></p>

<p>You will want to provide your managers and other supervisors with training on workplace romances. You will want to provide training that teaches your managers and supervisors how to discreetly address sexual behavior in the workplace, plus how to deal with the dating couple if it begins to affect their work performance or their co-workers work performance. Another aspect that they need to be trained on is how to deal with the gossip that is going to ensue with the romance, and how to deal with things if the romance does not work out. <br />
<strong><br />
Number two: Sexual harassment policy</strong></p>

<p>You will want to have a formal sexual harassment policy for your employees. The written policy should be posted where all employees can easily access it, it should be included in the employee handbook, and it should be listed on all of your business's policy documents. You will want to provide training for your employees on things that are considered sexual harassment, which asking people out on a date is not considered sexual harassment. You also want to openly discuss the consequences of their behavior and the fact that your business has a zero tolerance policy for sexual harassment.<br />
<strong><br />
Number three: Relationship policy</strong></p>

<p>You are going to want to come up with a policy that directly addresses any dating or relationships in the office. You want to think about if there are any specific, situations that you want to specifically prohibit from happening. The one thing that you want to avoid when developing this policy is a blanket policy that prohibits dating, sex, and romance, in general. If you prohibit everything with your policy, more people are going to abuse the policy than follow it, and you will be guaranteed that everything that happens between co-workers is done secretly. </p>

<p>When developing your policy on office romances you want to include in the policy a rule that prevents a supervisor or manager from dating any employee who reports directly to them. Dating a co-worker who reports to you can cause problems because other employees might accuse the manager or supervisor of playing favorites. Something else that you will want to include in your romance policy is that you expect all staff members to behave professionally; regardless of if, they are no longer dating. Many times problems arise when an office romance has gone bad, so by addressing it in your policy your employees will know and understand the consequences of their behavior if something does go wrong. </p>

<p>One rule that many businesses forget to include in their romance policy is sexual liaisons and sexual behavior at work. Most companies overlook these things because they feel that nobody will cross those lines in the workplace, but it can happen. You want to specifically state that your business will not tolerate any sexual liaisons or sexual behavior in the workplace. You also need to include the consequences for the employees' actions if they cross that line.</p>]]>
</content>
</entry>
<entry>
<title>How to set business policies</title>
<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://businessknowledgesource.com/blog/how_to_set_business_policies_029572.html" />
<modified>2009-11-07T12:12:15Z</modified>
<issued>2009-11-07T12:05:00Z</issued>
<id>tag:businessknowledgesource.com,2009://1.29572</id>
<created>2009-11-07T12:05:00Z</created>
<summary type="text/plain"> Running a business is more complicated than people realize because of the different aspects that you must deal with when managing the business. One of the most important things that you will need to do when managing a business...</summary>
<author>
<name>DK</name>

<email>don@greatresults.com</email>
</author>
<dc:subject>Policy</dc:subject>
<content type="text/html" mode="escaped" xml:lang="en" xml:base="http://businessknowledgesource.com/">
<![CDATA[<p><img alt="businessmeeting26246912.jpg" src="http://businessknowledgesource.com/images/businessmeeting26246912.jpg" width="83" height="125" align="left" style="border:3px solid #e7e7e7;margin-right:10px" /></p>

<p>Running a business is more complicated than people realize because of the different aspects that you must deal with when managing the business. One of the most important things that you will need to do when managing a business is to set business policies. These policies are important to have in place because it allows your employees to know and understand what is expected from them in a variety of situations.</p>

<p>Here are the steps you will need to follow when creating office polices for any important matter in your business.<br />
</p>]]>
<![CDATA[<p><br />
<strong>Step one:</strong></p>

<p>Make sure that you set clear policies for your business. If you create policies that are unclear, you cannot expect your employees to know how to respond in various situations. Creating clear policies will also help your business avoid any potential risks, such as safety for your employees. The policies also consider the law and ensure that your business is not breaking any laws.</p>

<p><strong>Step two:</strong></p>

<p>Start planning ahead of time by having your company's policies in place before you start to hire employees for your business. The reason for this is that if you create your policies before you hire people you can solve any problem that might come up by referring to your business's handbook. If you wait until after you have hired people to create the policies, it can cause problems. For example, people might feel like you are picking on them if you wait until they have done something that you don't approve of to come up with your policies.</p>

<p><strong>Step three:</strong></p>

<p>When creating policies for your business you will need to choose the policies that your business will need. Not all businesses are going to need the same policies, the policies that your business will need to have in place will depend on the type of business that you are running. Another factor that will determine the policies that your business needs is the size and structure of your business. You will need to sit down and figure out the policies that will best serve your business.</p>

<p><strong>Step four:</strong></p>

<p>When creating the policies you will want to seek professional advice. This is important because it will prevent you from making any mistakes when creating the policies. The professionals you counsel with will be able to offer you advice on what you need to include in your policies to ensure that everything is covered and that your policies are legally binding.</p>

<p><strong>Step five:</strong></p>

<p>Inform your employees about the policies that you have in place. This can be done when they are first hired, which is when you should give them a handbook that lists all of the business's policies. If you happen to change your policies during the year because they are not working or things have changed in your business, you will need to inform your employees as soon as possible about the changes. <br />
<strong><br />
Step six:</strong></p>

<p>When creating your policies you need to ensure that the policies do not discriminate against any of your current or potential employees. This is part of the reason why you want to seek professional advice when creating your office policies. If your policies are not carefully written you could be faced with lawsuits from unhappy employees.<br />
<strong><br />
Step seven:</strong></p>

<p>Talk to your employees about what is going to happen if they do not follow the policies that are in place. The disciplinary action that you will be taking against your employees should also be included in the handbook with the policies. </p>

<p>Creating policies for your business is one of the keys to a healthy relationship with your employees. Clear policies also reduce the need for you to take disciplinary action against your employees.</p>

<p></p>

<p></p>

<p><br />
</p>]]>
</content>
</entry>
<entry>
<title>How to manage a team</title>
<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://businessknowledgesource.com/blog/how_to_manage_a_team_029571.html" />
<modified>2009-11-06T12:12:41Z</modified>
<issued>2009-11-06T12:05:00Z</issued>
<id>tag:businessknowledgesource.com,2009://1.29571</id>
<created>2009-11-06T12:05:00Z</created>
<summary type="text/plain"> If you are the supervisor or manager at your place of business, you are already managing a team. In order to be a good supervisor you are going to need to have strong leadership skills, but you also have...</summary>
<author>
<name>DK</name>

<email>don@greatresults.com</email>
</author>
<dc:subject>Business Performance Management</dc:subject>
<content type="text/html" mode="escaped" xml:lang="en" xml:base="http://businessknowledgesource.com/">
<![CDATA[<p><img alt="businessmeeting26668385.jpg" src="http://businessknowledgesource.com/images/businessmeeting26668385.jpg" width="175" height="116" align="left" style="border:3px solid #e7e7e7;margin-right:10px" /></p>

<p>If you are the supervisor or manager at your place of business, you are already managing a team. In order to be a good supervisor you are going to need to have strong leadership skills, but you also have to be able to coordinate other people's abilities so that everything works out for the best. One of the best ways to manage your employees is to know about the skills and temperament of all of your team members. By knowing everything that you can, including strengths and weaknesses, of team members you will be able to effectively assign people to different jobs because you will know who is right for each job and who is not.</p>

<p>Here are some other tips to keep in mind to help manage a team in the workplace.</p>]]>
<![CDATA[<p><br />
<strong>Tip one:</strong></p>

<p>If you are not the owner or even the head manager of the business, you will need to take the time to figure out what goals and expectations the business owner or head managers have for your team. You will also want to make sure that you understand what those goals and expectations are, if you do not understand them or what is being asked of you, your team will be clueless. It is up to you as the team manager to explain to your team what is being required of them. You will want to talk to them about their roles, what responsibilities they have, and what deadlines you will have to meet as a team.</p>

<p><strong>Tip two:</strong></p>

<p>If you have to reprimand a member of your team or even correct how they are doing something, you do not want to do it in front of the other team members. Instead, what you want to do is pull them aside after work or on a break and talk to them about what is going on. If you reprimand or correct them in front of the other team members, it can damage their self-esteem. It can also cause them to feel embarrassed on front of the rest of the team, which will destroy the team feeling.</p>

<p><strong>Tip three:</strong></p>

<p>Motivate your team with praise as much as possible. People enjoy being told when they are doing a great job or that they are working hard. By acknowledging your team's efforts, you will help keep them motivated and feeling good about themselves. The more motivated your team is the more productive they will be.</p>

<p><strong>Tip four:</strong></p>

<p>Whenever you are talking to your team members, whether it is to correct them or praise them for something they are doing, you want to treat them with respect and be polite. By being polite and respectful, you will be sending your team members the message that you care about them as a person and value their input, which helps the team to work together smoothly. You also need to make sure that you are friendly and approachable to them. This is important so that if problems or concerns come up while working together your team members know you will be willing to listen to what is going on and will do what you can to solve the problem. Remember your team members have a life outside of work, so you want to do what you can to try to accommodate their commitments to family and friends.</p>

<p><strong>Tip five:</strong></p>

<p>If there are any problems or changes that are going on with the team, you want to handle them as effectively as possible. Talk to the other members of your team and get their feedback bout what they think should be done to handle the situation. When making your final decision incorporates their suggestions into how you have handled the problem, if their suggestions will work. By encouraging them to voice their opinions, you are helping them to see that they have value in the workplace.</p>

<p></p>

<p><br />
</p>]]>
</content>
</entry>
<entry>
<title>How to delegate work</title>
<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://businessknowledgesource.com/blog/how_to_delegate_work_029570.html" />
<modified>2009-11-05T12:12:26Z</modified>
<issued>2009-11-05T12:05:00Z</issued>
<id>tag:businessknowledgesource.com,2009://1.29570</id>
<created>2009-11-05T12:05:00Z</created>
<summary type="text/plain"> As a business manager, you have probably found yourself overwhelmed with work on more than one occasion. One of the biggest reasons that business mangers find themselves overwhelmed with their work is because they forget to delegate work to...</summary>
<author>
<name>DK</name>

<email>don@greatresults.com</email>
</author>
<dc:subject>Business Planning</dc:subject>
<content type="text/html" mode="escaped" xml:lang="en" xml:base="http://businessknowledgesource.com/">
<![CDATA[<p><img alt="planningmeeting32337730.jpg" src="http://businessknowledgesource.com/images/planningmeeting32337730.jpg" width="175" height="117" align="left" style="border:3px solid #e7e7e7;margin-right:10px" /></p>

<p>As a business manager, you have probably found yourself overwhelmed with work on more than one occasion. One of the biggest reasons that business mangers find themselves overwhelmed with their work is because they forget to delegate work to their employees. The main reason that most managers do not delegate their work to the employees is because they are afraid that the work is not going to be done right and most managers are afraid that they will have to give up control of the work.</p>

<p>The one thing that you need to keep in mind about delegating work is that delegation is one of the most important skills that a business manager can have. Delegating work to your employees is something that most be done so that you as a manger can have time in your schedule to attend to your other responsibilities. The one thing that you want to keep in mind though is that not everything can be delegated to your employees. Before you can delegate work to your employees, you will need to make sure that the work is something that can be delegated. If you have decided that it is something that can be delegated here are the steps you will need to follow to delegate the work.</p>]]>
<![CDATA[<p><strong><br />
Step one:</strong></p>

<p>Talk to your employees about what you expect them to do. You want to clearly state what the outcome of the assignment should be. When talking to your employees you will need to include all of the details about the task at hand so that nothing is missed.</p>

<p><strong>Step two:</strong></p>

<p>If there are going to be any constraints or boundaries on the task at hand you want to clearly identify them to your employees. This is important so that your employees do not cross any lines when completing the assignment that they have been given. You want to tell your employees if they are supposed to wait to be told what to do with each step or if they can go ahead on their own. If there are any other restraints on the project, you will want to make them clear to the employee so that they know to ask questions first.</p>

<p><strong>Step three:</strong></p>

<p>If possible, you will want to include other people in the delegation process. You want to give them the power to decide on what tasks they can delegate to other people and when they want to delegate those tasks to other people. Giving people this responsibility gives them the chance to gain management experience, which can inspire more confidence in the employees. Not everybody will be open to delegating tasks to others, so be sure they are ready for the responsibility before you give it to them.</p>

<p><strong>Step four:</strong></p>

<p>You do not want to give somebody more responsibility than authority. When giving people responsibility you want to make sure that you give them the same amount of authority. This is important because you want people to be able to make some of the decisions when doing certain tasks, but they can't make all of the decisions. This is important because even if you give other employees some of the responsibility they can't have it all because ultimately you are the person who is responsible for the outcome.</p>

<p><strong>Step five:</strong></p>

<p>You want to delegate the work to the person who is best fit for the job. This means that you are going to want to go as far down the employment chain as needed to find the right person for the job. You want to choose the person who is best for the job, which is somebody that does the job every day, because the person has all of the resources that they need to complete the task in the most efficient manner.</p>

<p><strong>Step six:</strong></p>

<p>Provide support for the people that you have assigned to work on the jobs. Have an open door of communication with them so that they can come to with any questions or concerns that they might have in regards to the work that is being done. Talk to them about the benefits of getting the job done in a timely manner, plus how it will affect the entire team.</p>

<p><strong>Step seven:</strong></p>

<p>Always maintain control over the job at hand. You are the person who will be deciding on deadlines for when stuff is due. You will also need to be the one to set up a schedule of checkpoints to review what is going on. If the jobs are not going as planned, you are going to need to act appropriately to get the project back on task.</p>]]>
</content>
</entry>
<entry>
<title>How to delegate effectively</title>
<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://businessknowledgesource.com/blog/how_to_delegate_effectively_029569.html" />
<modified>2009-11-04T13:12:34Z</modified>
<issued>2009-11-04T12:15:00Z</issued>
<id>tag:businessknowledgesource.com,2009://1.29569</id>
<created>2009-11-04T12:15:00Z</created>
<summary type="text/plain"> One tool that all managers have that they rarely use is delegation. One reason why they may hesitate to use delegation is that they do not know how to use it, so they shy away from it. Another reason...</summary>
<author>
<name>DK</name>

<email>don@greatresults.com</email>
</author>
<dc:subject>Business Planning</dc:subject>
<content type="text/html" mode="escaped" xml:lang="en" xml:base="http://businessknowledgesource.com/">
<![CDATA[<p><img alt="businessmeeting30381062.jpg" src="http://businessknowledgesource.com/images/businessmeeting30381062.jpg" width="175" height="117" align="left" style="border:3px solid #e7e7e7;margin-right:10px" /></p>

<p>One tool that all managers have that they rarely use is delegation. One reason why they may hesitate to use delegation is that they do not know how to use it, so they shy away from it. Another reason that they might not use it is because they are reluctant to give somebody else the work to do because they are afraid that the work might not be done correctly. For new managers the thought of the work not being done correctly is a big fear because in the end you as the manger are still responsible for the results, no matter whom you assigned to do it.</p>

<p>If you are a manager who is afraid of delegating work to your employees because you think the work will not be done right or because you are just the type to do everything yourself, you need to start delegating work so you have more time to do your other tasks. Here are some steps that you will need to follow to help you delegate more effectively.<br />
</p>]]>
<![CDATA[<p><br />
<strong>Step one:</strong></p>

<p>You are the only one that can determine what tasks you want to delegate, so you will need to determine what tasks you will keep for yourself and what you will assign to others. You just need to remember that delegating is not the same thing as giving employees work that is part of their normal job description. Delegating means you are giving somebody else your job tasks, but you keep control and responsibility over the tasks.<br />
<strong><br />
Step two:</strong></p>

<p>Tell your employees what results you want, make sure you clearly state what is acceptable and what is not. In most cases, the employee who you assign the task to is going to complete the task using their own methods, so if you have a specific method in mind that needs to be done to complete the task you will want to convey that to the employee.</p>

<p><strong>Step three:</strong></p>

<p>Define your employee's responsibilities; it is up to you to determine how much responsibility you give your employee, not the other way around. In determining how much responsibility, they have maker sure that your employee knows and understands what is expected of them. To ensure they understand have them repeat back to you in their own words what is expected from them. If they do not understand what you expect from them, you will need to go back and talk to them again.</p>

<p><strong>Step four:</strong></p>

<p>Talk to your employee about the amount of authority that you are giving them over the task. You want to clearly explain the decisions that they can make on their own, and which decisions are going to need to have your approval before they are made. When talking about this kind of authority you want to be specific because you might end up being unpleasantly surprised if you let them do whatever it takes to get the job done. Good rule of thumb to follow is to give your employee enough authority to get the job done, but not so much that a major disaster can happen before anybody discovers that there was a problem. You want to make sure that the employee understands what authority they have so have them repeat back to you their understanding of the authority that they have.<br />
<strong><br />
Step five:</strong></p>

<p>Set deadlines that your employee is going to have to meet. This will enable you to have time to review the project before it is supposed to be completed, but it also gives you a chance to review the project during the course of the project. By monitoring the project, you will be able to address any problems as they happen and not two days before the project is due.</p>]]>
</content>
</entry>
<entry>
<title>How to build an effective team</title>
<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://businessknowledgesource.com/blog/how_to_build_an_effective_team_029568.html" />
<modified>2009-11-03T12:12:20Z</modified>
<issued>2009-11-03T12:00:00Z</issued>
<id>tag:businessknowledgesource.com,2009://1.29568</id>
<created>2009-11-03T12:00:00Z</created>
<summary type="text/plain"> Most business that has teams wants to build effective and focused teams in the workplace. In order to build a successful team in the workplace you are going to have to pay close attention to certain factors because without...</summary>
<author>
<name>DK</name>

<email>don@greatresults.com</email>
</author>
<dc:subject>Teamwork</dc:subject>
<content type="text/html" mode="escaped" xml:lang="en" xml:base="http://businessknowledgesource.com/">
<![CDATA[<p><img alt="manconferencetable30341271.jpg" src="http://businessknowledgesource.com/images/manconferencetable30341271.jpg" width="175" height="117" align="left" style="border:3px solid #e7e7e7;margin-right:10px" /></p>

<p>Most business that has teams wants to build effective and focused teams in the workplace. In order to build a successful team in the workplace you are going to have to pay close attention to certain factors because without those factors your teams have a lower chance of becoming successful. Here are some of the factors that you will need to consider when building teams in the workplace.</p>

<p><strong>Number one: Clear expectations</strong></p>

<p>The higher-level management groups will need to clarify what it is that they expect when it comes to the team. They will need to clearly communicate what they expect from the team performance and what they expect the team to achieve. To help communicate this with the team members the team members will also need to understand why the team was created and what their purpose is in the organization. <br />
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<strong>Number two: Commitment</strong></p>

<p>When building a team in the workplace you do not want to have people on the team who are not committed to making things work. You want to choose members of for your team who want to accomplish the goals that the team has set before them. To help ensure that you choose the right kind of team members you want to choose employees who feel that they are valuable to the organization and who feel that what they have to offer can be a benefit to further their careers. You want to choose people who are committed to doing everything that they can to succeed, no matter what they are doing.</p>

<p><strong>Number three: Competence</strong></p>

<p>In order to be successful as a team you are going to need to have competent team members. The reason for this is that if you choose incompetent team members you are not going to meet any of the goals that are set forth for the team by management. When looking for team members you want to find people who feel that they have the knowledge, skill, and capabilities that are required to accomplish the goals of the team. This doesn't mean that you can't choose people, who are not as knowledgeable, especially if you think they will become an asset to your team. If you are choosing people who are not as knowledge about what needs to be done, you want to make sure that they have access to the training and resources that they will need to gain that knowledge.</p>

<p><strong>Number four: Charter</strong></p>

<p>The team will need to take charge of its area of responsibility, meaning take control of the project or projects that they are working on. The team is going to need to design their own mission and vision statements so that they can successfully complete their goals. The statements are going to need to define how the team is going to work together, including things like how many times they will meet each week, methods of communication that will be used, how they will measure the outcomes of the work that is being done, and many other things that define how the team will work together.</p>

<p><strong>Number five: Communication</strong></p>

<p>In order to work together effectively as a team you will need to have open communication with your team members. The communication works best if your team members can talk to you about any concerns or ideas that they have, you need to be open to hearing their suggestions. The team members also need to be able to listen to you when you have something to say, such as advice on how to go about solving a problem. Communication about what is going on at the workplace is also important because it allows people to know where the projects and teams stand and what still needs to be done.</p>]]>
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</entry>
<entry>
<title>Establishing rules for your business</title>
<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://businessknowledgesource.com/blog/establishing_rules_for_your_business_029567.html" />
<modified>2009-11-02T12:12:28Z</modified>
<issued>2009-11-02T12:00:00Z</issued>
<id>tag:businessknowledgesource.com,2009://1.29567</id>
<created>2009-11-02T12:00:00Z</created>
<summary type="text/plain"> As the business owner, one of the most important things that you will do is to establish rules for your business. When it comes to creating rules for your workplace, you want to be careful with what rules you...</summary>
<author>
<name>DK</name>

<email>don@greatresults.com</email>
</author>
<dc:subject>Business Strategy</dc:subject>
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<p>As the business owner, one of the most important things that you will do is to establish rules for your business. When it comes to creating rules for your workplace, you want to be careful with what rules you create. The reason for this is that bad rules can be inefficient; they can also oppress your employees and confine them. If you create good rules for your business, you will avoid any confusion and conflict on your employees' part because they will know exactly what is expected.</p>

<p>The rules that you establish for your business is going to vary based on the type of business you have. No matter what type of business you run there are some general rules that will need to be established just to run a successful business. Here is a look at the general rules that need to be established at every place of business.</p>]]>
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<strong>Number one: Salaries and benefits</strong></p>

<p>You will want to tell your employees upfront about the type of salary that they can expect. The salary expectations will also need to include any raises that the employees can expect. With the raises, you will want to include information on how and when they can receive raises; you should also include anything else that pertains to an employee's salary. Clear ground rules about any benefits that the employee's are eligible to receive also need to be determined. You will want to include who is entitled to them and what benefits are available. Labor laws protect a worker's right to talk to their co-workers about salaries and other job related issues, so the one rule you need to avoid is one that prevents employees from talking about their salaries.</p>

<p><strong>Number two: Work week</strong></p>

<p>You will need to include what your idea of a seven-day work week is, this should be determined by how you plan to calculate overtime This is important because it can affect the hours that your employees work, especially if you have a policy that states overtime must be approved in advance. For example, if your rules only allow employees to work 40 hours in one week they will only be able to work 8 hours a day, which means nine to five and no weekends. <br />
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Number three: Vacation time</strong></p>

<p>You want to set a rule that requires your employees to get prior approval for using vacation time. For example, if your employees want to take vacation for two weeks in the middle of August, they will need to request that time off two months in advance. Doing this will enable you to approve or deny the request or even grant a partial request so that you can always have enough people on hand to run your business. This is especially important during peak business times.</p>

<p><strong>Number four: Sexual harassment</strong></p>

<p>Sexual harassment rules are not going to pertain to dating co-workers. These rules need to apply to the behavior of your employees. You will want to create rules that prohibit any sexually explicit comments or jokes, the display of any sexually suggestive objects or pictures, and any unwanted physical contact. With sexual harassment, you will want to have more than one person people can go to when making a compliant for a variety of reasons.</p>

<p><strong>Number five: Drugs, alcohol, and cigarettes</strong></p>

<p>If you are going to hire people that smoke, you will want to specify where employees can go to smoke, such as off the property or in a designated smoking area. You will also want to specify when employees can go smoke, such as on breaks or only during lunch. Alcohol is another subject that needs to be addressed because you do not want employees to be drinking during working hours. To address this you need to create rules that prohibit drinking on work premises, unless there is a special occasion, such as a company Christmas party. You will want to have clear rules that prohibit drug use on work premises; you can even include a drug testing policy in your rules for hiring.</p>

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