If you run a business, you’ll know just how important it is to have your employees on the side when it comes to thinking up ideas for the future and ensuring that your firm is sustainable and profitable in the long term. And as busy leaders, we can sometimes become a little far removed from what’s going on with our firms. As a result, it’s often the team members working on projects day to day who come up with the best ideas, as they’re seeing what’s happening first hand. Here’s how businesses across South Africa can start to make the most of their employees’ great ideas.
- Brainstorm together
When you’re working on highly specific projects day in and day out as your employees do, it’s common to find yourself with all sorts of ideas on how to improve processes. But unless you as the employer give your teams the time and space to develop their views, you might never hear them. So by holding a regular brainstorming session with your staff, you’ll be able to assess their top ideas. It works for them, too, as not only is a brainstorming session a refreshing change from their normal work, it’s also a way for them to feel valued and respected.
- Provide them with tools
Often, employees in South African businesses are very creative, and all they need is an opportunity to shine. Luckily for you as the business owner, this does not require you to make bucket loads of investment. Instead, all you need to do is judiciously choose some online tools that will help your teams on their way. Many of your employees probably dislike the endless rounds of PowerPoints that modern business seems to demand, for example. So why not give them the chance to unlock their creativity by providing them with a video movie maker to spice up their presentations?
- Go for training
Office or workplace training sessions have been around for a long time, and they’re not going to go away anytime soon. There may be a specific skill that you find your employees are lacking, such as general abilities like good communication or something more specific to your business. In either case, it’s a good idea to provide training to address the need to unlock some specific potential within your organization. Of course, it’s important to make sure that you choose a good provider with strong reviews, otherwise, the fee you pay for the places on the course, as well as the working time lost, could end up costing you.
From snazzy video makers to group brainstorming sessions, there are lots of ways for you to get the most from your employees while also ensuring they feel they are respected and valued members of the team. Whatever business sector you’re in and whatever structure your organization has, there’s something out there that will suit you and your company and help your employees to realize their full potential.