Bizsuccess

Tuesday, November 3, 2009
By Pattie Baker

If there were a hat rack in your office that held all the “hats” you wear in your job, would the rack be full?  For most small business owners, that answer would most likely be a resounding “yes!”  Running a small business often requires being a “jack of all trades,” and frankly, may attract people who specifically like to have their hands into everything.

However, sometimes this can create problems for employees, yourself, and your customers.  Employees may feel powerless to make decisions because they know you’re always going to have the last say on every little thing.  This isn’t great for morale and doesn’t do much for employee retention.  What’s more, you may be cracking under all the work and pressure, and may find that your business comes to a grinding halt when you’re not around.  And customers may be frustrated if they have to wait for answers because everyone has to check with you, or they may find some sloppy details in the way your business is run because one person simply cannot do everything.  This issue is not just a production issue.  It’s a marketing problem.  You can get known pretty quickly as a company owner who is “stretched too thin.’  Not the reputation you want.

Here are some ideas to consider:

1. Delegate.  This is far harder than it sounds.  It requires you to empower your staff and then to get out of the way.  It also requires that you set a quality standard but allow for flexibility in how that standard is met.  You can’t micromanage.  You can’t redo the project exactly the way you want it afterwards.  And you can’t second-guess the decisions your staff makes.  You have to allow for a few mistakes.  You have to allow for different ways of doing things.  And you have to bite your lip a bit (okay, maybe a lot).  Unless the methodology truly has a negative impact on your business, don’t sweat the small stuff that can help your employees feel big—and ultimately, inspire them to rise even higher to the challenges you give them.
2. Departmentalize.  Choose a clear specialty for yourself and let others be leaders in other areas.  Make it clear to employees who to go to for what answers, and make it easy for customers to get answers to the questions they need as well from specific employees.  For instance, Anne in Accounting can answer all the financial questions.  Joe in Marketing is the go-to guy for ads, brochures, flyers, promotions and other customer communications.  Mack in Operations knows exactly what’s happening with the trucks and crews.  And Denise in Purchasing owns the details about supplies and equipment.  Make them accountable for their specialties.  Set up a system for how often you are updated.  And then get back to new business development or general management or strategic thinking or whatever it is you do best, knowing your business is in lots of good hands.
3. Hire smart.  Still not feeling comfortable?  You may have the wrong team in place, or the right team in the wrong places!  If your team includes family members, this may get sticky.  However, there’s a chance that Cousin Harry who is going crazy in the warehouse may be a better fit helping with deliveries, or that Sister Gracie has a knack for social marketing that no one ever noticed before.  Once you feel confident in your team, you’ll find it easier to step back and let everyone do what they do best—which should help make your business the best it can possibly be!

Here is a magazine that does a particularly nice job of letting customers get to know departmentalized staff members.  What are you doing to help customers get to know who does what in your business?