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While working with some business owners recently, they expressed that one area they want to improve on is letting go of what they perceive as their constant need to be consumed within their business. They either want to be able to take a weekend off without being called to the office, take a ten-day vacation and not have to check in every day, or on a more permanent basis, feel like they can delegate certain business functions to their teams.
One business owner with whom I was working explained, “Joe takes care of the field, and Carol takes care of ordering supplies and scheduling.” Since these areas were clearly being covered by Joe and Carol, we established a goal that the business owner would go 30 days without touching the field, supply or scheduling system. This is a huge big step for this individual, but will certainly be a valued one!
A CEO mentioned that he is constantly being asked to solve problems that don’t particularly belong on his plate. We discussed this and agreed that the owner would encourage his employees who are presenting issues to him to also come forward with options, recommendations or action plans – or even better – to take action themselves and explain why afterwards.
Still another business owner I work with has a habit of picking up his phone to call suppliers and customers himself when situations arise, rather than coaching her employees to do so. The employees and the suppliers/customers have been trained that only the owner can be the communicator. This of course stymies operations and chains the business owner to the office in perpetuity.
This last one really makes the point obvious. While the challenge certainly lies in changing the behavior of the both the owner and the team, the brunt of the onus falls to the owner who is now being challenged to stop micromanaging, enabling or whatever you want to call it. The owner needs to let go… for the betterment of the company, the betterment of employee development and the betterment of quality of life (in and outside of work).
If we don’t learn to work on our business, rather than in it, we perpetuate the idea that our businesses cannot survive and thrive without our constant heavy hand. Which is simply not true. We just have to learn how to let go where we can.
By Bob Dodge
