Delegate and empower others in the business
Too often business owners feel the need to do everything. It’s certainly understandable that as a business owner you want to control everything about your company – after all, it is your baby! When you think about how much a business owner puts into their company – their heart and soul – you can understand why it is difficult to step back from every single decision that needs to be made. Especially for the business owner who has struggled with his or her business. There is a definite hesitancy to allow anyone else to take the reins as that hard work to get a business back on track may be endangered.
However, if you want your business to be successful over the long term, you are going to have to turn some decision making authority over to others. This doesn’t have to be a scary thing! By selecting the right people, delegating responsibilities and empowering your employees to make day-to-day operational decisions, you can feel comfortable that your business is in the right hands – and that those hands don’t always have to be your own. This way you can focus on what is really important – growing your business!
Empower your best employees to make decisions in their areas of focus and expertise. Provide them parameters around making decisions so they have a comfort level (and so do you!) about what they can and cannot do. It will help them to build their confidence in their abilities to help within the business. Build processes for problem solving initiatives, including a specific marker for when escalation is required (such as when a certain dollar figure is involved, if the situation is going on for more than x number of days, contracts are involved, etc.) Help your employees build their skills in problem solving and decision making. Provide them training and be sure that the training provides for activities and role playing situations that can be done to practice their skills in a “safe environment.” Have a process in place where decisions made can be reviewed to ensure they are in compliance with the parameters provided and are being made in the best interests of the business.
Provide your employees opportunities to be involved in the business – you’ll find that they are thrilled to be able to be involved in helping the business to meet its strategic goals! What are you waiting for?? Get started today!
