The Capable Employee

As a modern business owner, I’ve caught the fever to rely on gadgets and depend on electronic communication in lieu of actually picking up
the phone; but I wonder, have I done my company a disservice? As I visit client sites and assess the challenges they face, it becomes clear that sometimes the culprit is not the employee, it’s the technology. Excessive reliance on technology cripples the ability to think outside the box. To be sure that your employees know their tasks and are able to execute them with or without help, there are a few ways to take the temperature of your employee’s skill without technological help.

Combine training with experience

I am huge fan of training and you will never hear me dismiss it.  That said I also know that training only teaches you so much. There are practical parts of the job that training, no matter how good, will never be able to teach.  The goal here is to get rid of the ‘push button’ mentality where the employee only knows how to push a specific button.We want to get them to the point of expertise where they know exactly what to do when they don’t have that button to push.

Create a one to one atmosphere

The idea behind this is to create an environment where your employees match every challenge with at least one potential solution. The
benefit from this atmosphere is the ability to create a culture of learning and innovation within your organization. When you create an atmosphere for solutions, staff stop relying on technology and rely on their own ability to problem solve.

Technology in moderation

The obvious reality is that technology is now deeply entrenched into our daily lives and removing that indulgence is easier said
than done. To combat the technology crutch, I would suggest allowing your employees to use it as a supplement to core knowledge. This creates a more finite dependence on what they know while using technology for only specific tasks. Allow your staff to enjoy the benefits of technology without relying on them.

Technology is great and some industries have no choice but to rely heavily on it, but there is a fine line between using it to make your
job easier and using it to do your job. As small business owners, technology allows us to play with the big boys but what makes us different is our ability to create specific personal solutions for our clients. Technology shouldn’t steal that appeal.

Leona Charles

Leona Charles began SPC Business Consulting Ltd in 2007 to help businesses of all sizes get the most out of their performance. As a Six Sigma Black Belt, she brings a fresh and unique approach to Operations Consulting drawing on her 10 years of combined experience in law enforcement, government contracting, property management, customer service, non profit industry, and education.

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