How to Prevent Employees From Becoming Lazy

Do you currently have an employee (or a few) that are under-performing or are just doing the bare minimum? Whether you’re trying to get these workers out of their funk or you’re trying to prevent your current employees from heading in this direction, it’s time to take action!

1. Be Open, Yet Stern - Having an open line of communication between managers and employees is extremely important. Let them know you have an open door policy and they can come to you with any issues at any time. However, you should also be doing the same by going to them when you see them under-performing or you want to address their goals within the company.
2. More Responsibility - When an employee has the same workload for too long, they can become bored or unwilling to go above and beyond. Try to motivate these bored employees by giving them more responsibility or a project they can work on. Try not to give them busy work, give them responsibility or a project that will really benefit the company.
3. Provide Training - While working does pay the bills, it’s also meant to help you develop current and new skills to make you a smarter and better person. By providing your employees with trainings to help them develop their skills, you will show them you are committed to them (in hopes they return the favor by showing they are committed to you). Even providing an updated training on an older one can refresh their minds and hopefully their determination.
4. Moving On Up - Employees can feel like they’re stuck if they haven’t had a promotion or an addition of new roles and responsibilities. Create new roles for employees so they know that a promotion or new level of responsibility is always available. Simply knowing that a promotion is always possible can motivate anyone that feels like they’re in a stagnant workplace.
5. Know Your Employees - Take the time to figure out why your employees might be under-performing. You might uncover that they had a death in the family or a recent divorce that lead to their poor work performance. Show your employees you care by giving them a small amount of time off to regroup. Something as small as being compassionate and empathetic can cause your employees to like you more, thus working harder.

Not many businesses will have a team of all-star employees at all times — there will always be a few lazier ones that will need to be motivated. If you feel you need to keep an eye on business operations and employees, consider installing CCTV security cameras. To learn more about CCTV or to schedule a free estimate with Reliable Voice & Data Systems, give us a call at (877) 385-6657.

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5 Tips to Stay Productive When Working From Home

Working from home is an experience that is quite the opposite of working in an office. Between the flexibility and customization that comes with working from home, there are some challenges that also come with this work decision. For those who are currently working from home (or are about to make the switch), here are some tips to help you stay productive.

1. Cut Out Distractions - Every person has different things that distract or bother them. So before you clock in for the day, go out of your way to try and limit these distractions. For example, if you hate hearing loud noises while you work, don’t run noisy appliances, keep the television off, and tell anyone else who is home to be extremely quiet for the next few hours.
2. Check Your Email Less - A lot of time can be wasted by checking your email too frequently. It’s not wise to check emails while in the middle of tasks because it can distract your train of thought and even pull you away from the task altogether. The best way to deal with checking your email is to only do it at certain times of the work day. Check it when you clock in, at set times throughout the day, and right before you clock out.
3. Stay Focused - Working from home can cause you to become distracted more easily because you’re in a more relaxed setting where you mind can wander off. To stay on task, time yourself with every task you set out to complete. By constantly timing yourself, you’ll limit unnecessary downtime and be more efficient.
4. Stick to Your Work Hours - Since working from home offers you flexibility with your work hours (not in every instance), you’ll be able to set work hours that are best suited for you. Just be sure to stick to these hours and not work in pieces throughout the day. You don’t want to end up getting less done than you could have OR cheating yourself of your personal time. Treat your home office as you would a real office.
5. Don’t Make Time for Leisure - Since you’re working from home, you’ll have the opportunity to do things that people in the office can’t do. You’ll be able to make doctor, hair, car, or dentist appointments in the middle of the day when it’s less busy. While this might take less time now than if you were to go after work, you don’t want to make this into a habit. Have you ever heard of the saying, “If you take an inch you’ll take a mile?”

Productivity should always be high no matter where you work, but it can be challenging when you are working from home. For those working from home, you may want to consider VoIP to make communicating easier AND cheaper. To learn more about VoIP phone systems or to schedule a free estimate with Reliable Voice & Data Systems, give us a call at (877) 385-6657.

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Easy Ways You Can Become a Better Manager

Are you a manager or owner of a small to medium sized business? Being in charge of multiple people that carry out the business operations can be a difficult task. However, there are a few things you can do in order to be a better manager for your employees.

Find the Right Motivation

Certain employees will work hard for different reasons. Some will give it their all because they love to receive recognition for their hard work, while others do it for the money. No matter why your employees do it, find out what motivates them and offer their ideal incentives for a job well done. This way you’ll be able to receive the most amount of productivity from the people you manage.

Be A Leader

Any person can take control of power and be a manager — but that doesn't mean they'll be a good manager. What makes a good manager is their ability to lead a team by example. Don't just tell your team what to do, explain to them the ideal process to use and show them firsthand how to get it done. Leading by example will improve your chances of having a team that will respect and work hard for you.

Always Communicate

As a leader, you should be consistently working to improve your communication skills. The first step in better communicating with your team is to always be available to them. For those in an office setting or who travel often, a reliable phone system should be used to stay in contact with fellow employees. Utilizing a VoIP phone system will allow employees to call each other for free within the business and even forward calls to their cell phones while they are away from their desks. You can't communicate clearly if you don't have an open line of communication.

Managing a team of people can be tough, but even if you're not the best leader, there are things you can do to improve your skills. When you need to communicate with your employees better, consider installing a VoIP phone system installed by Reliable Voice & Data Systems. To learn more or to schedule a free estimate, give us a call at (877) 385-6657.

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How to Make the Best Work From Home Office EVER!

So you've traded in your suit and tie (or skirt and heels) for pajama pants and slippers. Working from home is a completely different experience compared to working in an office with its own set of pros and cons. In order to have the best work experience possible, make sure you have the best work from home office EVER!

Cloud Storage

Sending dozens of emails per day trying to share your work with other employees is not very efficient. Instead, utilize cloud storage websites online so multiple people can work on the same thing at the same time. Cloud storage such as Google Drive is available for free (storage limit) and allows you to upload and share files with anyone you want that is also using Google Drive. Stop with the emails and step into the future!

Hosted VoIP Phone

Making calls from a traditional landline day after day will rack up your phone bills. To offset the cost, consider switching to a hosted VoIP phone system. Why? First off, internal calls between employees are free which is perfect for an employee trying to dial into the office or other employees who work from home. This phone system also allows you to forward calls to your cell phone if you're away from your home office. And do we even have to mention that VoIP phone systems cost half of what traditional phone systems cost?

Video Conferencing

Speaking through emails, online chats, and phone calls are great for communicating with fellow employees and clients. However, by not speaking in person you are missing out on the ever so important body language and facial expressions that make communication more effective. Luckily, most VoIP phone software comes with video conferencing capabilities to allow you to be there without actually being there! You and the people you are speaking with will feel more connected to each other, making for a better conversation.

While working from home, you need to set up your work from home office with the right tools to help you succeed. When you need a VoIP phone system for your home office, contact Reliable Voice & Data Systems. To learn more or to schedule a free estimate, give us a call at (877) 385-6657.

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Why Surveillance is Needed in Your Business

Are you currently on the fence for whether or not you should install surveillance equipment in your small business? Before you go ahead and make your choice, there are a few things you should consider that will ultimately help you make the right decision.

Reduced Shoplifting and Employee Theft

The addition of security cameras will help your employees monitor potential shoplifters and stop any before they walk out of the door. Not only can you keep track of any possible suspects, but the mere presence of cameras can strike fear into people, preventing them from attempting to steal in the first place. In addition to shoplifters thinking twice before stealing, so will employees. Oftentimes, employee theft can cost you more money than customers that steal.

Operate More Efficiently

Being able to have an eagle eye view of your business will allow you to see the entire operation as a whole. From here you will be able to see if everyone is doing their job, if more or less employees are needed at one time, and if there is any waste that can be cut down. Sometimes you need to see all of the business operations as a whole from behind the curtain in order to see how effective they are. With CCTV security cameras, you’ll be able to watch remotely at anytime (especially when your employees know that you’re not in the building).

Get More From Employees

Managers spend a lot of their time monitoring and watching over their employees, giving them less time to take care of their other responsibilities. However, with the presence of security cameras, there’s no need to babysit employees which will free up a lot of the managers’ time to be more productive elsewhere. In addition, employees will know they are being watched at all times, so they will keep working hard even without always having a manager in sight.

Business owners need to invest in their business if they want to be successful — and investing in surveillance is a big piece of the puzzle. When your small business is looking to add CCTV security cameras, contact Reliable Voice & Data Systems. To learn more or to schedule a free estimate, give us a call at (877) 385-6657.

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