It’s the day before a major report is due, the moment before your biggest client meeting, or the day before your big event – do you feel the “heaviness” in the air? For an entrepreneur who maintains a close watch on their business, it should be clear by now that maintaining a healthy workplace and maintaining a vibrant business culture are two of the toughest challenges. Business relations can have their ups and downs, like any relationship. However, too much complacency can often lead to its ultimate downfall. Hence, it is highly essential to “detox” your business and remove all of the impurities. This is where your leadership matters the most.
As a business leader, you will be tasked to craft creative ways that will not only address pressing business issues but also create enhancements and sustainable solutions. In some cases, the easiest route is to ignore or delay resolutions. However, don’t delay the issues too long or similar to decay, it will begin to effect the core of your business. So you want to do something, but unsure what to do?
Toxic Sources
When detoxing a business, don’t just address the surface issues. It is essential review and analyze the big picture and all business aspects to include:
Employee Retention. Do you have high and fast turnover and unsure of the root causes? Now is a good time to do a business detox. If employees tend to leave their jobs before they 1st year anniversary, you have a problem. Part of the reason could be due to the ever-changing mindset of millennials (that’s another blog). Although not far from plausible, and not always a bad thing, the reason your employees are leaving can show you various underlying issues like low employee morale, low creativity or low productivity.
No Avenues of Growth. Another common problem in the workplace that creates toxicity is the absence of opportunities that foster growth. Employees have high hopes and expectations. A business where employees are prevented from moving forward or learning more about the business, will eventually find itself in a quandary.
Lack of Competition. People are often raised to be competitive. It is part of the human DNA to compare or to compete in the hope of enhancing one’s self-confidence and …..winning! Dear businesses, don’t forget a little competition is healthy. Take note, no one ever wants to lose unless for a good cause. So make sure you attach a cause to the competition, because everyone can’t win.
Monotony. Change is always resisted. At the same time, employees tend to respond negatively to monotony. Whatever you do, avoid your employees feeling like they are stuck in mud. When there seems to be no movement, that usually means there is no movement. People begin to lose their enthusiasm, bad moods become commonplace and the creative mindset gets muddied. Avoid monotony at all costs.
Overall, know that toxicity in any form, can push your business in a downward spiral. When completing the business detox, it is essential to share this with all parties involved. This will send a clear message that you are addressing business problems rather than allowing them to deteriorate your business success. Wearing a blinder will only make it worse. Take action to resolve your business issues and minimize the damage—then, monitor and make necessary improvements.