What kind of entrepreneur/employer are you? And which one do you recognise yourself in?
1: The cold as ice/the authoritarian: No connection what so ever with the people, no clue what is going on at the workplace, only interested in better results and people that reach the highest targets.
Consequences: Huge staff turnover, high percentage sick leave, a fake atmosphere at the workplace because no one dares to be themselves.
2: The warm one: Does connect. Involvement with the people that work for you because you do think it’s important for your company and for each-other.
Consequences: First, a great atmosphere. The warmth is returned to you by people running the extra mile for you. The company also breathes warmth and stability to the outside world, which gives potential customers trust in you …. (i.e. potential revenue growth). Staff will stay loyal for longer periods of time and does not call in sick easily, just because they have a sore throat, a nasty cough or a running nose.
3: The submissive one/the softy: Want to do things right, are often too sweet cause they don’t want to lose people. Meanwhile they do everything themselves (working 8 days a week), while the rest is on a continuous coffee break. It seems to be paradise for an employee, getting paid for minimal effort. And in the meantime, you are working your ass off just to keep things going.
Consequences: It is always a mess, because there is no leadership at the workplace. Strangely enough the atmosphere in these kinds of companies tends to be the worst.
It is not always necessary for me to look at the employer, my primary focus is on the kind of people that are present at the workplace. That tells me a lot about the person in charge.
An old saying from the bible teaches us: A tree can be recognized by its fruit.