Are you sitting comfortably? Welcome to my series of podcasts that will help you to navigate some of the difficulties you might come up against when you’re a business owner. Today, I want to talk about how empowered teams always perform better.
Do you desperately want to let go of the reins of your business and have more time off? Do you get constant complaints from your family that they never see you? You’d love a more balanced lifestyle, where you can leave the business in the hands of a capable team, but does this seem very far off right now?
Is the reality that your team can’t make decisions without you, and truth be told, you don’t trust them to pull their weight when you’re not around?
But being chained to your business indefinitely is not sustainable. You expect setting up a business to be hard work for a while, but then as things develop and processes are put in place, you should foresee a time when you can step back and relax a little. No matter how passionate you are about your business, being overworked, having no balance, and constantly dealing with team issues will soon wear thin.
So what can you do?
Well, the first step is to take a look at how you’re doing things. You might complain about your current predicament, but have you contributed towards it?
Can your team not make decisions because you’ve given them no autonomy or not trusted them to do so?
Do you have no work/life balance because you insist on overseeing every minute detail?
The situation won’t improve unless you make a change.
Creating a business that will grow and do well is your goal, and if you want to meet that goal, you have to accept that you just can’t do everything on your own.
You need to empower your team to pick up some of the slack and run with it when you’re not around.
So how do you empower your team?
Give them the chance to make decisions and resist the temptation to step in and insist that you would have done things another way. Trust them, and even if they make a mistake, they’ll have the chance to learn from it and improve.
To become more confident and capable, your team needs responsibility. Give them projects that they have to see through. If you’re nervous, start small, and allow your team to take ownership of what they’re working on. You’ll probably find that once they assume responsibility, they’ll work harder because they’re more invested in the outcome.
When your team do well, be sure to not let this go unnoticed. Whether you take the time to say thank you, or give them a small token of your appreciation, it will go a long way to making them realise that they are valued. You will be rewarded with better performance and commitment.
So as you’ve probably guessed, a big part of empowering your team and giving them the confidence to make decisions is by learning the art of effective delegation.
The word often strikes fear into the heart of business owners who have built their businesses up from scratch and loathe the idea of relinquishing control. But when you weigh up the risks and benefits of delegating more, it’s a no-brainer when it comes to making your life easier and making your business ripe for growth.
Whether you worry that delegating is a waste of your time, or that only you can do certain tasks to the required standard, you have to take a longer-term view.
Five years from now, do you still want to be working as you are? Having barely any days off, spending hardly any time with your family, and feeling like you’re walking into do battle every day?
Of course, you don’t. Delegating tasks to your team has many benefits if it’s done properly, and you’re not trying to micromanage or offload tasks you hate.
One of the biggest benefits of delegation is that it frees up your time to focus on the strategic tasks that are going to directly grow your business, and you will actually be able to start having some quality time off.
As time goes on, delegating tasks will make your team feel more confident and capable, and it gives them the chance to learn new skills and develop, which will make them more motivated and more likely to stay.
Trust is crucial if you want a high performing team who will actively help you grow your business, and being willing to delegate tasks and give them more responsibility will show them that you trust them.
Delegating tasks is a better use of everyone’s time. Your team won’t be sitting around twiddling their thumbs waiting for you to give them instructions, and you get to spend more time doing what you do best, building a business that’s going to give you the lifestyle you want and a comfortable future spent doing more of the things you love.
Read more on the art of delegation.
Need help?
Are you fed up with your employees not making decisions?
Do you feel like you can’t have much time off as you wonder what you will come back to?
Are your family fed up with never seeing you?
How I can help
I work with you through the “Success with Employees” membership to help you build a high-performing team.
Employees like to be involved and with the skills, I will pass on to you and your team you will see morale and working relationships improve.
Why me?
I’ve managed and led operational teams for 30 years and I understand how personal lives and other issues can intrude on work, and what support teams need.
I hold a Level 7 CMI Professional Consulting Diploma plus IODA Qualification Equal Opportunities, as well as Level 5 CMI Management and Leadership.
If you’d like an energised, high-performing team who work together efficiently and confidently even when you’re not there– get in touch with me to find out how.
Book a call now to find out more.