Many business owners might feel like being strong and kind at the same time isn’t possible. Either you can assert yourself, be strong and get people to do exactly what you want or you can be kind and give other people what they want. So it’s a question of choosing between wants. But isn’t it possible that what you want and what the employee wants are, at heart, the same thing? In that case, it ought to be possible to be both strong and kind at the same time.
Weathering Storms Is a Sign of Strength
What exactly does it mean to be strong, especially in the context of a business? A strong person is someone who can weather many storms. And when you’re running a business, many storms are likely to come your way, sometimes in terms of interactions with employees. How do you deal with them?
Preparation Makes You Strong
Most of the time, when an issue comes up with an employee, you’re going to have some notice. So you can prepare exactly what you’re going to say, when you are face-to-face with that employee. This gives you an edge. Keep in mind what your main point is going to be and don’t budge from it, unless there really are extenuating circumstance.
Writing it Down Makes You Strong
Another thing you can do, which will help you to make your point in a strong way, is to write down what you’d like to emphasize before speaking to the employee. Writing is a powerful tool which helps you clarify what you want to say.
Being Kind Under Extenuating Circumstances
On the other hand, you can also make an effort to be kind when dealing with employees. This can be done in a variety of ways. Remember that sometimes, there really are extenuating circumstances when your expectations aren’t met. If these only arise once in a while, you can let the issue go or work around it with the employee’s help.
Choosing Between Strength and Kindness
It’s a good idea to keep extenuating circumstances in mind when dealing with an employee. On the other hand, if that employee has a constant stream of extenuating circumstances, then it’s time to be strong and reconsider their employment.
