The best way to inspire the troops is to make them part of the action

If you have a first-rate retail business, you will have top-notch workers. Whenever you have top-notch workers, your retail competitors will try to steal them from you.

You can blunt these attempts by making your employees feel a part of a strong team and a contributor to major decisions. This strategy is critical in a tight labor market.

As an example, suppose you have a successful restaurant with superb cuisine and excellent service, and your clientele continues to grow. Suddenly you lose a chef to a competitor. A week later; your head waiter is lured away. With all your other business pressures, you wonder if this is just the tip of the iceberg.

Although the best time to take action against a possible exodus is before it happens, it's never too late to start. Don't use threats -- these only hasten the inevitable.

If you find yourself yelling at workers to get the job done, you probably can't stand the heat; if you can't stand the heat, it's probably best to get out of the kitchen. Translation: out of the day-to-day running of the business. At the other extreme, you can't be totally lax or your employees will become so as well. Employees will always place greater importance on your actions than on your words.

Assuming you want to take proactive, positive steps to retain your staff, I suggest working to develop a team spirit and involve your employees in key decisions.

For example, hold daily meetings before the restaurant opens. Ask your staff for suggestions to make the establishment run smoother. Engage in group discussion. If the majority wants to try something new, give it a try for a week and then discuss the results at a future staff meeting.

If you are considering a new work schedule, discuss the rationale at a staff meeting and determine if there are any serious issues before the change is implemented. If you are contemplating changing the menu, explain your reasons to the staff, show them a draft and solicit their feedback.

Offer them samples of one of the hors d'oeuvres, main dishes or deserts at staff meetings. If you are considering adding a new dish to the menu, ask staff members to sample it and solicit their feedback. If this dish is added to the menu and customers ask about it, the waiters and servers can offer a personal opinion rather than respond, "I haven't tried that."

As the spirit of camaraderie grows, solicit other recommendations from your staff members. Work closely with your head chef to ensure members of your kitchen staff are rotated through different positions within the kitchen, so they are proficient at several different stations. Encourage kitchen staff to try different layouts in the kitchen with a goal of preparing meals more efficiently -- even if it involves spending money.

This may boost morale, lower operating costs and increase profits. Also encourage them to experiment on different dishes. You want both your kitchen staff and your wait staff to function as smooth teams.

Seek out your best performers, mentor them to become even more proficient and explain what positions they could expect to achieve within the business as they continue to improve. Then reward excellence by promoting these performers into positions of headwaiter, manager or maitre d'. Then don't micro-manage them. Let them perform to the best of their ability.

At some point you might consider offering stock options to key personnel through an employee stock option plan. This allows them to acquire a growing ownership of the business in exchange for a preferential stock price -- include a mandatory buy-back clause if they leave.

Regardless of the type of retail business you have, strive to make your employees part of the solution rather than part of the problem. Put yourself in their shoes, and then develop programs to effectively involve them in the running of the business and enhance their perception of the work environment in your company. If you succeed, competitors will have a difficult time luring your top performers away.

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