What are you holding onto too tightly as a business owner? And how is that holding your team back?

Well, let’s get into that today. Thomas Joyner with Business on Purpose here.

At our weekly Check-ins, Scott always asks me the same 5-6 questions, and he tends to sprinkle in one or two that come and go throughout the year. His question last week? What am I holding onto too tightly that I need to let go of? 

It’s a question that’s rooted in humility but also rooted in knowing that this business is his baby. And for years he wore every hat in the business. From coaching to bookkeeping, even ordering the toilet paper for our office bathroom. He’s done it all for years. So, sometimes he doesn’t even realize someone is ready to take something off his plate, because you get locked into these rhythms.

But it’s a powerful question because there are areas I’m ready to grow, responsibilities I’m ready to take on that will ensure I continue to grow in my job role and not grow bored with my day to day. 

I had a client a few weeks back lose an employee to this exact situation. He called them in for an exit interview and one of the things they said, was that they didn’t feel like their role had any room for growth. They did the same thing day after day and that things were held a little too tightly by the owner even though they had been working together for years.

From an employee's standpoint, they didn’t feel trusted, didn’t feel like there was any room for upward movement or any vision for their purpose in the business. 

So, if I asked you the question, how would you answer? What are you holding onto too tightly as a business owner…and taking it a step further, what are you holding onto too tightly that is keeping your team from growing?

Maybe it’s something you need to sit down each employee and have a conversation around. Or maybe you need to chew on it a bit yourself first and then use the answer to cast some vision and think through what growth looks like for each part of your business.

Think about what that communicates. 

1. It shows you want them around for a long time and have through through realistically what that looks like. 
2. It shows you value them enough to grow them individually. That’s powerful as an employee, everyone wants to be somewhere where they are invested in and intentionally challenged to grow.
3. It shows you took the time to build an intentional business. Especially in a market where 80% of people looked around at their work options last year. Employees want to know they are somewhere well run. The best way to show that is by listening and staying one step ahead. So your team knows they are following a proactive leader and not someone just winging it.

So, when will you think through this? Maybe it’s taking a client to lunch and asking them what they see from their perspective. Do you have team leaders you can grab 30 min with and roll this question into your weekly check-ins? 

Here’s the pushback we get. Well, my employee isn’t ready for more yet. They can’t handle it. Ok, I get that. It’s your job to communicate that in an effective way and train them up to where they are ready for more. 

That’s tough to swallow and hard to execute on, but ultimately if we are the leaders of our business, the whole team is following our lead and so responsibility for team development rests squarely on our shoulders. 

Don’t take that lightly!

So what are you holding onto too tightly as a business owner? Take some time to think through it today.

Thanks so much for listening… have a great day