Most businesses often employ a small number of people and are run by a small team. Having a larger number of staff is more demanding and also requires more finances. Regardless how many people are employed within a company, the jobs we have can greatly impact our health and wellbeing.

Work-related stress is a very common issue and at high levels can even cause illness. According to statistics from the 2021 National Statistics Office (NSO) report the most common health problem associated with work (at 46.3%) includes stress depression or anxiety, compared to 17.1% who suffer from bone, joint or muscle problems, and 36.6% from other types of health problems. Therefore, it is very beneficial for both employees and the business itself to have good capable management with properly planned job roles, good communication and flexibility. As a business owner, it is important to look at changes that can be made to improve wellbeing.

In order to create an effective organizational structure, have engaged employees with an open communication practice and an environment in which both business and employees can thrive, there are three main steps:

Step 1

Create an organizational structure, assign job duties, and plan the next stage of growth. It is important to examine your existing operations and ensure workload is properly split to avoid employee burnout. Look into who is responsible for what? Who has a bigger workload and who can take on some tasks instead? Who is reliant on whom to move things forward? This is a significant step and will enable you to devise a more ideal structure capable of accommodating the next stage of growth. When job responsibilities and roles are specified, uncertainty is removed, objectives can be set, and the business can look towards growth.

Step 2

Small businesses can mostly entail family-run businesses or else companies where due to its small size has a more laid back and informal attitude, which although has its perks, it can also work against the visualized growth. Business owners have their own values, and for the business to succeed, the workforce must share these beliefs and goals which can only be made possible through a consistent staff management system.  Implementing a more formal approach when running operations must be used when managing employees to ensure alignment on core values, goals and main tasks to be able to push the business forward.

Step 3

A formulaic approach to staff management is bound to fail; employees see themselves as numbers and usually do not feel driven to go the extra mile. When the company’s mission, leadership, and individual employee incentives are all aligned, the company will then become an exciting place to work and provides room for employees to flourish. Having staff engagement strategies in place can be very inexpensive and reap great benefits. This can be done through various ways, including having a performance-reward management system, have set Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for your employees and make room for open two-way feedback with management while also scheduling formal one-to-one monthly meetings with employees to better discuss progress, set-backs, issues or concerns.

If you seek to grow your business, regain control of your employees, or increase employee engagement, we can help! Contact us on support@businessdoctors.com.mt for a free no-obligation Business Health Check or call on +356 79903685