Dave,
I have a question about how to foster independence in my employees.
I have a cleaning and restoration business with 30 employees. Last year, we brought in $3 million. Things are going very well overall, but considering what we do, I can get calls around the clock, seven days a week.
I want to be there for my team as much as possible, but I’m also trying to get them to take on more responsibility and ownership when they’re on job sites. Do you have any suggestions about how I can foster independence in my employees?
Joe
How to foster independence in your employees
Joe,
When someone brings me a problem, and drops it on my desk, I tell them to pick it back up. In other words, I want them to look at the problem as theirs, not mine. Then, I ask one question: Based on what you know about our company, what do you think we would do to fix this? Sometimes they’ll be right, and sometimes they’ll be wrong.
If they’re wrong, I’ll tell them to go back to their desk, and just quietly think for a few minutes.
After, I want them to call me back with three possible solutions to the problem. I’ll explain which solution is the right one, and why. I’ll also explain why the other two weren’t the best ways to handle things.
Try this strategy to foster independence in your employees
Do you see what I’m getting at? They’re not going to grow if you solve every problem for them. Make them think it through. Because by doing this, you’re training them to make decisions.
Do you know what else this does? It will eventually relieve you of being jarred awake in the middle of the night by a ringing phone.
Joe, you’ve built a $3 million company. You’ve got a big team working with you and making big things happen. You shouldn’t have to answer phone calls around the clock.
Take steps to foster independence in your employees for your own good
Transferring the fire in your heart, and the knowledge in your head, to your team members sets everyone up to burn brighter and be more knowledgeable and self-assured.
But you’ll need to intentionally shift your mindset from stepping in and doing the work to leading it. Start seeing yourself more as a catalyst, a coach and a consultant, rather than the muscle for all the heavy lifting.
If this sounds hard, it’s because it is. Delegating, at first, is one of the hardest things you’ll ever do in your business. But if you slow down a little to put the best delegation and problem solving processes in place now, you’ll be able to move—and grow—even faster later.
Great question, Joe!
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