“I like to be Jabba the Hutt,” said no one in the MSP business ever! Nobody would want to be compared to the slug-like alien antagonist of the Star Wars franchise. He is one of the most powerful gangsters in the galaxy and he is highly entertained by torturing and humiliating his subjects and enemies. And though no one would like to admit it, some people run their businesses like Jabba runs his cartel, threatening and bullying their employees to do their bidding. Are you one of them?
MSPs similarly cannot control every aspect of the business, although some try. Many try to play god over their employees by locking them up in long-term contracts, threatening to blacklist them, forcing them with the non-compete clause and auto-renewals, and micromanaging every aspect of your work. This is not healthy for the business as it will only result in stressed, inefficient, unproductive, and unhappy employees. To turn things around, here are some tips to effectively manage your employees:
Establish open communication
Managing a company, a department or a team is a difficult task if you do not have clear and open communication between the management and the employees and among the employees too. Develop an atmosphere where employees can approach and talk to their managers and bosses. Take time to listen to their opinions, concerns, suggestions and even criticisms. Make your employees feel that their voice is valued in the company. Unlike Jabba the Hutt, your employees are not your slaves and so, they deserve to be heard.
Have a genuine concern for employees
A good boss takes the time to know his or her employees. Aside from tasks and projects, you should talk to them about their personal goals, aspirations and their families. Have lunch with them and assist them whenever they have difficult tasks or clients. This shows that your employees are important to you and it will result to happy and productive people.
Be transparent and truthful
Running a successful MSP business takes transparency and honesty. It is important in building good relationships with the employees because being transparent means having integrity. Do not withhold important information to your staff, be honest about issues and company problems, be fair, and keep your promises to them. This helps build trust and unity within the office.
Create a positive environment
A good positive work environment is a great motivation for everyone to do their best. Be supportive of your employees. Appreciate and acknowledge the employees who are behind a project’s success and publicly reward the top performers in your team. This helps build their self-esteem and at the same time, challenge others to do better.
Support growth and development
Create avenues for your employees to grow like building their career paths and sending them to classes, trainings, and expos. This helps enhance their personal knowledge and skills and in the long run, elevate the status of your IT business.
Jabba the Hutt was a tyrant and his subjects loathed him. He used his massive rancor and the Sarlacc to strike fear and keep his influence. However, his reign did not last forever. And if your MSP business continues in the path of Jabba, a Luke or a Leia will come and cause everything you have worked for to disappear. Therefore, be good managers and your employees will reward you with loyalty and productivity that will boost the success of your business.
