Capitalizing on Current Employees

"Where there is a will, there is a way." - Old English Proverb

As an employer, you may often have been surprised by your employees' extra-curricular activites. Sandra in accounting may go biking when she's not at work, Devon might be a website designer in his spare time, but he works in an unrelated department. People often associate the unknown with fear, or being uncomfortable, but in this case, It might be productive if you have Devon take a look at your website, or maybe Sandra can represent your company in a bike race. Those little things encourage your employees to feel like they are contributing to the cause of the company while they do things they consider to be "fun." This also encourages a more powerful culture, where you can achieve more cohesion as a unit, better communication between departments, and of course better profits.

It really does come down to profit. The "feel-good" activities are great, but only if they help for that efficient culture you require to grow your business and become better at what you do. A team of people is almost always stronger than one person, and you can't do it all by yourself.

I'm not suggesting Devon should take over from your IT department, but he may have some technology or knowledge that he can teach to them, which will make for a better department. Sandra's biking skills may help to net a new client, boosting your business and creating better opportunities. This doesn't mean Sandra should be your new account representative. She's a great department head. But her secondary skills may be just as important as her primary skills.

This is just as important as adding new members to your team. When hiring, you're looking for that extra spark to a personality, someone who can take charge and follow at the same time. Those are the same reasons you hired the people you have now, so don't forget to capitalize on those skills.

Suddenly the wheels start spinning. You remember that Jeanne over in finance enjoys organizing parties... Wait a minute. Don't jump directly in the pool and start firing in all directions. It's often better to assign a different month to everyone, giving each person a chance to shine as well as give your company opportunity for potential gains. These little things help lay a better foundation.

In the world of business, every little bit helps.