You work hard every single day to help your company—at least so you think. Unfortunately, some actions made in an attempt to help actually hurt. Here are six of those actions and what you need to do if you find yourself doing them:
1. You’re Busy, Not Productive.
You’re constantly running around putting out fires, going into meetings, and answering questions. But are you actually accomplishing any tasks? Don’t confuse activity for real, business-improving production. If you find yourself in this situation, take control over your schedule. Direct employees to their managers. If you’re the only manager, empower your team to make certain decisions. Only an upset customer should immediately interrupt your day.
2.You Don’t Constantly Seek Feedback
If you haven’t heard any complaints, everything has to be fine, right? Wrong. Statistics show most customers elect to simply leave you, rather than complain. You should constantly be monitoring your online presence and looking for reviews. Reach out to those who are dissatisfied. You also should be doing a happy calls after every appointment, and you should leave each customer with a survey; with a hand-addressed, stamped envelope; and your techs should instruct customers that they do NOT have to leave their names on it, unless they want to. Anonymity can sometimes ensure you get real, honest feedback.
3. You Don’t Think Before You Post
Your company should at the very least have a Facebook page. You do your best to put interesting content on it. You’re careful not to post anything controversial. But how about your personal Facebook page? Your Facebook “friends” can often be your customers. Never post anything on your personal accounts that might offend a customer or cast a poor light on your company. Your social-media decisions not only affect you, they affect your employees.
4. You Ignore Your Website
Your website is a resource for both prospects and customers—if it’s not updated, you are hurting your company. Some companies have blogs, but most don’t. A blog is fantastic for analytics, but it also shows you’re active on your website. It doesn’t take much to write 300 words about any particular subject about your trade, your employees, company guarantees, how you’re different from the competition—anything. Strive to post something new twice a month.
5. You Make Critical Decisions in the Afternoon
The time of day affects our brain’s functioning. According to scientific research the most important decisions should be made in the morning when serotonin, the calming hormone, is naturally high. It makes us feel less risk averse, so we can make harder choices. Later in the day, it’s common to postpone decisions because we favor indecision or just avoid making a choice at all.
6. You Fill Every Waking Moment with Activity
A lack of downtime during the day hurts your company because you aren’t performing your best. The human body is designed to labor in short pulses and requires physical and mental rest at regular intervals. Schedule at least two times during the workday to reflect and recharge for a few minutes. This is done most effectively by wandering around outside where you work. Get some fresh air. Remember that taking care of yourself means you are taking care of your company.