Your business constantly ebbs and flows; it’s a living breathing system (similar to a garden) that needs to be tended, managed, and carefully grown. Interestingly, it takes everyone in your business to help this happen: you, your employees, even your customers.
In this four-part series, I want to focus on your employees (or your subcontractors, depending on your business model). This year, I’ve heard a lot of frustration from employees. I’ve also seen a lot of frustrated business owners who are stressed out, worried about cashflow, and who, in some cases, are feeling like employees or subcontractors are costing them more than they’re worth.
One of my goals in supporting small business is to make sure that we are keeping people working. My friend and colleague Denise Altman, of Altman Initiative Group, Inc., will work with your team, help you hire, and can even coach individuals who might be struggling with performance issues.
I’m here to tackle areas of disorganization, time management, productivity, and systems/processes with you and your team. I’m also here to help business owners:
- delegate more;
- delegate more effectively; and
- build trust with their teams as they do so.
If you are ready to dive into some delegation secrets that will help you think differently about the garden that is your business, let’s get started!
Delegation Secrets – Part 1 of 4
The Wisdom of Teams
As I sat with Bill, he sighed in frustration. “Your ideas are great and two of those are things I never would have thought of doing. But honestly, this part, I’ve told my bosses this a dozen times and they simply don’t listen. Maybe since you’re the “paid consultant,” they’ll hear you when you say it and agree to put it into practice.”
I wish this conversation was an anomaly. Something I hear once in a blue moon.
It’s not.
I hear it all the time. Employees have good ideas, but are reluctant to share them. Or they have shared them, only to find them falling on deaf ears.
As a business owner, are you ready to hear it?
If you’ve hired well, you have enormous wisdom within your business. That team of yours? They know stuff. They’ve probably told you stuff that would save your business money, make your business money, or could even radically improve customer service for your clients.
Your employees are probably talking to your clients and customers every day. If they are savvy, they see a pattern of errors. They’ve probably created “work-arounds” because the “approved way” isn’t working. And they know flaws in your operations processes because the take the calls from the vendors who aren’t being paid. Your employees “see” things day-to-day differently than you do (and so do I).
That alternate perspective is invaluable.
Have you asked your team what they are seeing? Asked them about their frustrations? Given them permission to share feedback, even if it isn’t rosy and nice?
And are you willing to listen to their answers?
If you need help opening this new door, let’s gather your team for a brainstorming session. Pick one area of your business you know needs improvement (customer service, billing, operations, etc.). Call me at (704) 553-8082 or email me at [email protected]. Let’s create a safe space to mine the wisdom of your team!