Communication is Key

As a young entrepreneur, it’s frustrating at times when employees do not listen or respect your position as their superior. It’s even harder when you have a close bond which interferes with how you view them and how they view you.

In a classic job environment, you’ve got a boss and you’ve got several employees. The employees do the tasks given to them by the boss and follow his or her decisions for the company.

But when one of the employees is the best friend of the boss or even a family member of the boss, the hierarchy is more difficult to maintain due to one’s inability to switch between a professional and personal relationship.

I encountered this problem recently when working with my brother. I love my brother, he’s been part of my life for as long as I can remember.

But when we’re on the job. It’s me, the boss, talking to him, the employee.

There’s a hierarchy, and when he doesn’t listen or starts complaining on the job. It drags the whole team down and it’s harder to maintain my position as the boss.

If he were any other person, I wouldn’t work with him ever again but thankfully, my family and I sat down to talk about this issue and the two of us have come to a much better understanding.

It made me realize how important communication is in the workplace to ensure everyone is on the same page. Employees work better when they’re given a sense of responsibility and meaning for the work they do. Giving them the power to be responsible is the first step towards a strong company culture