Employees Aren't Mind Readers

Can untrained employees cost you money? You bet. And lots of it. An owner of a small ice cream shop found out the hard way.

He told his store closing employee to be sure she switched off the light on the ice cream dipping cabinet prior to closing up for the night. When it came time for closing, she couldn't find the switch so she decided to unplug the machine to make sure the light was out.

What did he find when he arrived at the store the next day? A soupy warm mess where the ice cream should have been -- $600 down the drain.

How could he prevent simple errors like this from happening in the future? First, remember, employees aren't mind readers. They have to be told, shown and reminded. Here are three steps you can take to prevent simple errors.

1. Training -- Train by showing. Show her where the light switch is. Confirm that she understands.
2. Write it down -- Write down a closing procedure which includes all of the details about what needs to be done, when and where it is located.
3. Prominent markings -- If something should never be
   unplugged, it should be marked with warnings.

Employees will never be as passionate about your business as you are. As owners, we need to provide them with the tools to help them -- help us -- be successful.

Need more help?

Drawing on the author's 25 years of experience in the field of human resources, this comprehensive resource explores the full spectrum of personnel issues. Includes sample documents, letters, and memos. From Entrepreneur Magazine.