A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away…
January was the time when we all resolved to do better, to be better, and to make the coming year the best one yet. People and businesses alike set themselves goals, targets, and had grand aspirations for the year ahead. Then, the third week of January came and the well-intentioned resolutions began to slip, old habits quickly re-established themselves, and the voice of Master Yoda himself whispered quietly: “Unrealistic, your expectations were.”
Because here’s the rub (whether we’re using a Star Wars analogy or not), only about 15% of all New Year’s resolutions are kept, largely down to most of us believing they can be achieved by willpower alone when in reality, changing habits requires a commitment, and investment of time and energy as well as the will to change.
And it’s here having a focus sharper than a Lightsaber’s laser will help. Ask yourself what’s going to define the success of your business in 2019 and what you need to do to ensure your business wins. Narrow it down, define it, establish what you need to do to make it happen, then start doing it.
For us at Quinyx, this is creating a better life for millions of people by improving their work lives. We want to see happy employees, happy customers, and happy businesses. We want to see companies who rely on blue collar workers and a flexible workforce putting the employee experience at the forefront in order to deliver incredible customer service and create a profitable business.
We know managing a large workforce across many units, sometimes in multiple countries, is far from easy. And to do it well, you’re going to need to draw upon the full spectrum of your Jedi powers. If you want your business to win, you’re going to have to make this happen for the other 50 weeks of the year, not just the first two. But don’t worry, we’re here to help, and here’s some guidance to get you started…
1. Empower your heroes
Every single person in your workforce is your very own Luke Skywalker. They are the heroes in your tale. Some people will argue it’s your customers who are your heroes, but look at it this way - engaged employees will make you more profitable. According to a study from Gallup, businesses with engaged employees see a 22% increase in profitability and score 20% higher on customer satisfaction surveys than their competitors with low levels of engagement. The moral of this story? Treat your employees like heroes and they, in turn, will deliver a better service and experience to your customers - making you more successful.
Download our free guide to improving employee engagement and retention to find out more.
2. Unleash your inner Yoda
It might be tricky for you to organise an away day in the swamps of Dagobah (the Jedi master’s home in The Empire Strike Backs) but you can be the guide and mentor your employees need. Listen to what your employees want. Research we carried out in 2018 found 20% of shift workers put the ability to pick and choose their shifts at the top of their priority list, while 16% prioritise having the ability to swap or change shifts at the last minute. You can be the hero in their story by giving them the tools the need to do this and to be the best versions of themselves.
3. Don’t be Darth Vader
The lure of the Dark Side is always strong and it’s easy to slip into the role of arch-villain. This isn’t going to help anyone, let alone your business. There will be times in the year ahead you’ll be frustrated and you’ll face challenges but instead of reaching for anger, remember all the good things you vowed you’d do at the start of the year - be mindful, be honest, be authentic, be helpful, be healthy, be kind, and always stay true to your purpose.
4. Use the Force
Wouldn’t it be easy if you could wave your arm and channel a mystic energy to make all this happen? Unfortunately, we’re not quite there yet, but there are a whole host of tools at your disposal to make life easier for you and your employees. Cloud based, mobile first software is your secret weapon. Tech can be a huge force (no pun intended!) for good. The key is finding technology that’s easy and seamless enough for people to actually use it. Whether this is workforce management software, CRM software, or anything else in between, it has to be as simple to use for your employees to use as Spotify is. And it has to become an app on their phone they can’t live without. Find the best solution for your business and the (work)force will be with you, not just in 2019, but long into the future.
We wish you every success in 2019 and look forward to helping you create a happy business with happy employees and happy customers.