Here’s the hard truth: no matter how hard you prepare yourself, mistakes are inevitable when you own and run a business. Screwing it up doesn’t have to mean the end of the world. It can simply be a learning opportunity that can help you make your business better and stronger than ever before.

However, as a woman business owner, there are a few things you might feel like you have to do for your fellow female employees.



Photo: pexels.com

1.    Assuming a Mentor Role

Mentoring is one of the most important personal development tools that can help your business grow. It’s a great way to give something back to the community, and it can be surprisingly rewarding for both the mentor and the pupil.

That said, while mentoring is a great learning opportunity, you need two people to make it happen. You can’t just force it if the other person is not interested in learning from you.

So, while you may want nothing but the best for your employee and think she’d be a great pupil, it’s possible she doesn’t feel the same way. Don’t take it personally or think of it as lack of respect; it just means that she probably has a different path in mind, one that she needs to develop on her own, or with a different mentor.

If you do, however, have any female employees that have expressed their want of a mentoring experience, be careful and consider how it will affect your company, before saying yes. It can easily be viewed as favoritism by other employees, which could significantly affect the relationships between you and your employees and amongst themselves.

2.    Overpraising Your Female Employees

Yes, it’s important to boost your worker’s morale, but there is such a thing as counter productivity and overpraising your employees can have that effect. Not only that, but it’s quite unethical to praise your female employees, blatantly leaving out their male counterparts. If you want to let your employees know they are doing a great job, you should do it regardless of their gender.

There should be a definite limit set for these pats on the back because too much of it can seem rather insincere in time. When your boss is always telling you what a great employee you are, you can easily start slacking.

If you suspect you are overpraising your female employees and it affects their work, you can use a workforce management solution to take control of the situation. Advance Systems Inc, for example, could help you track and manage employees hours and attendance in real-time, allowing you to identify potential issues before they snowball into problems that could hurt your business.

Make sure, as a leader, that you recognize you employees’ achievements but only when they deserve it.

3.    Befriending Your Female Employees

You want to have a great relationship with your employees, but that doesn’t mean that you should turn into their best friend. Also, don’t assume that just because you’re both females, your employee would want to have anything other than a professional relationship and start spending her free time with you.

Many people prefer to maintain their work relationships separate from their personal ones, so be careful not to cross any boundaries with your employees. Not only that but turning work relationships into friendships can immediately go awry, but it can also dismiss any authority you have. Be friendly but keep it professional.

Creating a harmonious environment can be a tricky task for any business owner and different employees can sometimes require different approaches and attitudes. Make sure to adapt your management style and reach for a balance between authority, friendliness, patience and strength.