I’ve been speaking to a lot of small business owners recently and many of them are grappling with the same problem: they want their employees to “step up” and take more responsibility so the owner won’t have to constantly be involved in the day-to-day running of the business and will be able look at bigger-picture issues like growing the company (as well as take some time off every once in a while!).

The problem is, most business owners are experts in their business but not experts when it comes to managing employees.  There’s a lot of trial and error that goes on in figuring out what works.  Here are some approaches that have worked for other small businesses:

Set clear goals
It might be obvious to you, but have you ever stopped to actually write down what you want to achieve and how you want to get there?  (By the way, that’s a big part of what coaching is all about.)  Whether or not you work with a coach, take some time to think about goals and articulate them to your employees.  Remember, they’re not mind-readers and what’s obvious to you, might not be to them!  Having a clear goal gets employees more motivated and more likely to be “on-board” with you.

Offer incentives for desired behaviors
If employees can help achieve your big goals, or reach an important milestone, it may be worthwhile (and motivating) to offer a monetary bonus.  But you may want to encourage other, more everyday behaviors, like taking responsibility for solving a customer’s problem or doing certain things proactively.  In those cases, non-cash incentives could make sense, such as recognition or extra time off or a small gift.  There are great ideas for incentives here: https://blog.bonus.ly/15-creative-employee-reward-ideas/

Take a look at your own management style
While many business owners want employees to “act like an owner,” some find it hard to let go and can’t resist jumping in and doing something because they feel they can do it better or faster.  Of course, you don’t want to stand by while an employee does a bad job, but make sure you utilize their strengths, show them you appreciate them, and help them develop into a person you can trust to do a great job even when you’re on vacation!

If you are dealing with these kinds of questions, you may want to join my Business Growth Mastermind Group.  The group will meet via web conference on Sundays for 8 weeks, starting February 10.  It will help members grow their businesses and especially focus on marketing effectively as well as hiring and developing great employees.

If you or anyone you know might be interested, please click here for more information and the curriculum.  I’m looking forward to it!