If you want your business to run smoothly and produce high income, you need to deal effectively with your workers. You need to get them to do the job right, to be efficient and effective. They need to be the right person for the job. You need to assemble a winning team for your business, so you can enjoy your work, earn high profits, and enjoy your life.



One of the hardest tasks facing business owners and managers is disciplining their workers. Often they are reluctant to confront errors, poor work, or other shortcomings. Worse, they totally avoid terminating a worker to the detriment of their company, of themselves and other workers.

True examples of owners struggling with difficult employees George had a salesman named Jim. Jim up was an expert at playing brinkmanship. Just when his sales were so low that he was on the verge of being reprimanded, he'd come in with an order. Sometimes, instead of an order, he would come in with a crisis-like his daughter needing a serious operation.

George put up with Jim for years. It was costing his company millions in sales. Jim was underutilizing a lucrative territory. George was always on the verge of terminating him, but never followed through. As a result, George suffered tension and anxiety from a having to deal with Jim.

A similar situation occurred with Sondra. Her sister, Jill, tied up a big territory and made few sales. Furthermore, Jill had an grating personality that created low morale whenever she showed up at the office. Sonata felt she could not fire her own sister. Like George, Sondra agonized over this problem for years.

Karl had hired a vice president of operations who turned out to be very disruptive. This VP was loud, demanding and she treated workers unfairly. Morale was going down the sewer. Karl knew he made a mistake in hiring her and he had to let her go, but he was intimidated. He spent months agonizing over the pending confrontation.

The myths that were undermining their success Each of these owners suffered from the following myths: Myth: Managers are responsible for their workers feelings and should not upset them or make them feel bad.

Myth: Managers are responsible for solving all their workers problems.

Myth: Managers have to keep the goodwill of their workers.

The Truths that set them free Truth: your workers are responsible for themselves. They deserve to reap the rewards and suffer the consequences of their behavior. You have the right to demand top performance from your people.

Truth: managers are responsible for solving only a limited area of worker problems, such as providing resources for the worker to do the job. Personal problems, such as coming in late, are the responsibility of the worker.

Truth: managers have the right to be independent of the goodwill of their workers before coping with them.

When these owners finally realized these truths, they found the courage to do what was best for the company and ultimately what was best for the employee. Each terminated the inadequate worker. Sondra took the extra step of getting approval from other family members before firing her sister.

Karl rehearsed with his coach what to say to his bad-tempered VP of operations. He formulated a simple bottom-line statement to answer her objections. She yelled and screamed at him and each time he responded, "I understand, but your services are no longer desired." After he answered in this way four times, she ran out of bullets and left.

In each case, the owners reaped many benefits. Their stress levels decreased dramatically. Workers' morale improved greatly. Lastly, productivity and sales shot through the roof.

Remember, you are not responsible for your workers feelings. They are responsible for providing the services for which you hired them. You have the right to say, "I don't care." You have the right to say, "You're fired."

Don't let these myths stand in the way of your success.