You may be the boss, but you can’t be in all places at all times.  Delegating can often be the biggest challenge for company leaders who started their business and are on a growth trend. To make the most use of your time, you need to focus on developing and growing your business. That includes fostering leadership qualities and behaviors within your team itself. The goal is to free up your own time to drive the business, while your employees handle the daily operations that keep things humming. Finding the right balance – staying involved without micromanaging – can be difficult when you grow an organization, but it means everything where profitability and stay-power are concerned.

It is critical to a company’s success to embolden team members who are the backbone that keep daily processes, production, and projects moving. You want both you and your employees to feel confident in the decisions they make daily. To do so, you have to be conscious of the way you hire, the behaviors you model inside and outside of the office, the training you offer, and the evaluations you provide. Make good on your word. When you say that you will follow up, make sure that you do. Circle back when necessary to check in on progress and commend good work along the way. Offer insight and guidance when things are off target. One huge benefit for companies whose owners go this extra mile is improved morale. People who feel self-assured, inspired, and challenged by the work they do tend to enjoy it more – leading to lower turnover and a happier work environment. That kind of positivity has a trickle-down effect. The organization will thrive and your clients will reap those benefits as well.

We’ve put together the list below of the top 3 behaviors and techniques we espouse at RC to give our team the confidence and motivation to succeed. See any similarities between our methods and how you run your business? These strategies work like a charm for us. Give them a try and start enjoying the organizational benefits of a team empowered!

1.) Play to Their Skills – Allow for Individuality 

If your understanding of your employees or contractors is a re-hashing of their resumes, it’s time to get to know them better. What kind of work inspires them? What bores them to sleep? What are their interests and hobbies outside of the office? Having these kinds of conversations unearths a host of talents you may not have known about and unveils potential for professional growth you may not have accounted for when hiring. If you ask us, that’s a win/win for employee and employer.

Additionally, having insights into your staff’s personality traits and preferences allows for higher productivity, improved output, increased job satisfaction, and a pervasive positivity in the office. Knowing which team members want to be challenged in new and different areas gives rise to new leadership opportunities for them. An empowered perspective can bring refreshing enthusiasm and invigorated elucidations to keep propelling your company forward.

2.) Let Go!

Allow your team to demonstrate competency. Do not dissect every minute of their day. Encourage their decision making and use ‘teachable moments’ as ways to learn and improve rather than chastise or browbeat. Just like you, your team is human. Mistakes will happen, but it’s important to encourage your team to navigate troubled waters by developing solutions to course correct. The way you react to problematic situations is as important as the solutions developed to address them. By exercising firmness balanced by compassion, the way you lead will encourage their willingness and enthusiasm to rally around a given cause. You set the example and others will follow suit.

When the team has a solid alignment on company goals and objectives, it’s easier for them to act in the best interest of the company, even without you being there to monitor the conversation. Make sure your team knows well the company mission statement, value proposition, and core beliefs. Train accordingly to make that knowledge possible. And when your employees go above and beyond, make sure to celebrate their efforts. Encouraging words, a company-wide commendation, or a congratulatory meal can go far to unite your team.

3.) Offer a Seat at the Table

Give your team the opportunity to have a voice within the organization. At a frequency that makes sense for your company, schedule a routine ‘all-office’ where you bring everyone together. This is your ‘Town Hall’.  Provide your team with a comfortably transparent view of the company direction and goals. Level-set the dialogue by explaining what exactly is up for discussion and how you’re going to run the meeting. Aim for an informal/casual tone so that you can get a true sense of how people actually think and feel about the work the team accomplishes. Invite their feedback. Rather than simply list problems or inadequacies, troubleshoot. You don’t have to have all the answers, but you have a room full of subject matter experts in their own fields there to assist you. Ask for their suggestions for solutions and ways to improve anything and everything from operations to company culture.

NOW, apply what you’ve learned from our first two tips! Allow those who highlight issues or propose solutions to lead the charge on next steps. Encourage them to liaise with other team members to do so. A constructive, collaborative internal discussion lends to growth and prosperity far more times than an inner-monologue or agreeance from ‘Yes Men’ too complacent or discouraged to offer any insights contrary to the status quo. If you’re ready to move your business ahead, definitely take this organizational leap!

Found these tips helpful? Share them with your colleagues! After you’ve given them a try, let us know what you think by commenting below.