Business Strategy - 2016 Archive - Page 2

QUOTE: "Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe."   
~ Abraham Lincoln

One of the criticisms we often hear about systems is that you can't cover all scenarios with a system. The truth is, we couldn't agree more! As a business owner, the number of items that you HAVE to be concerned about can be overwhelming. The sheer amount of threats and opportunities out there are exactly why you need systems in the first place. You need to be free to react and even better take advantage of things that are outside of your control, which is difficult to do if you're putting out day-to-day fires from things that are within your control.

Last week we discussed that in order to have your employees take ownership of a task you first need to define what taking ownership means to your business. If you haven't yet defined taking ownership, we encourage you to do so now or at least look at our sample definition. This week, we recommend you focus on one task one employee should take ownership of.  

We often hear frustrated business owners question why they can't get more of their employees to take ownership of their roles. Is it the hiring? Is it the culture? Can you not hire great employees anymore? We've covered this in other articles and know there is a combination of factors at play here, but mostly it's that your business is designed to get the results you are currently getting. If you want more employees to take ownership, your business needs to do something different. This month we're going to look at what "something different" means. 

This month we gave you things to consider "while you are away" so your business continues as smoothly as possible. By having a plan in place for a vacation or emergency, you will return from your absence stress-free and without putting undue stress on your employees.

Quote: "The person who owns the business doesn't truly know how to build a company that works without him or her - which is key." Michael Gerber

Last week we showed you the need to have a Quick Reference Guide (QRG) for your business. This week's focus on "while you are away" is how to make sure each staff member has clarity on what they own within their role in your business.

We see it again and again; business owners rarely take a vacation or planned time away from their business. They are drawn to the fact that the business will explode or implode in their absence. How can you leave when you (or another key person on your team) are the one who keeps the business together?

Last week we focused on internal solutions to capacity issues other than hiring. This week we're going to look at external solutions. 

In the last few weeks, we've encouraged you to study your capacity and the division of work in your business. As we've noted, the knee-jerk reaction for many businesses when things start to get busy is to hire, but it's not always the only solution. Below are a few internal solutions that can sometimes prevent the need to hire.