As a very busy business owner, the chances are you don’t have time for everything. As the business has grown you will have put processes in place to help you, and maybe even appointed additional people to help manage your team.
But in doing so, just how easy are you to reach? Of course, you don’t want to be bogged down with the nitty gritty all the time – after all that’s why you appointed a senior management team.
Equally you don’t want to be so distant from the day to day of the business, that you no longer have a good idea of what is going on. And whilst it is imperative that you know when a customer is dissatisfied so you can intervene, it is just as vital you know about your team.
So how can you get the balance right?
- Have regular meetings with your senior team encouraging them to share issues
- Set up team/department sessions that you can drop in on – and make sure you get around them all over a specific period
- Have a strong relationship with your HR person, or outsourced HR consultancy, so you’re up to date on any problems
- Operate a suggestion scheme – and act upon good ideas, which motivates your people to keep sharing their thoughts
- Think about putting aside a couple of hours on a regular basis, such as once per fortnight, and use this as an open door session, inviting anyone in the business to come and talk to you
Of course, all these ideas need careful managing to make sure they don’t get out of hand. And remember that just because you are aware of something that is going on in the business, it doesn’t mean you need to take responsibility for it. The art of delegation is more than a blog post on its own!
If you would like help with your HR, or managing your team, please contact us on 01256 328 428.