| One motivation cited by many small business owners is the opportunity to be one’s own boss. But that doesn’t mean you’re free to forget what it is like to be an employee.
Think about the people working for you now. Are they contributing to your company’s growth through their energy and ideas? Or, are they merely putting in the hours until a better opportunity comes along?
People want to contribute to a cause they believe in, and one that recognizes the value of their participation. Your small business is no different. Along with being the “eyes and ears” of your business, employees can help solve (and, often, avoid) problems, identify opportunities to improve efficiency and strengthen your niche, and offer insights that you might otherwise have overlooked.
In other words, your employees should approach their jobs the same way you tackle the roles of founder and owner—as entrepreneurs.
It’s All About People
Instilling that kind of thinking is not difficult, but it doesn’t happen just because you include “we will be entrepreneurs” in your mission statement. An entrepreneurial culture is created in part from your leadership. But don’t think that you need to adapt yourself into an inspirational zealot, a General Patton, or a Captain Kirk. Simply be yourself. The most effective leaders are those who set a good example—timeliness, throughness, integrity, consistency in words and actions, unconditional respect for others’ opinions and an openness to new ideas—including those that may be unworkable.
Likewise, entrepreneurial employees must be creative, proactive thinkers. That’s why it is important to look for these qualities during the interview and selection process. Employment consultants can help you develop methods to gauge a candidate’s initiative and responsiveness, including their ability to craft life’s proverbial lemons into lemonade.
Another approach for many types of service and retail businesses is to hire people who are as much as possible like their customers. They are in a better position to give customers what they want because they know what customers want now…and in the future.
Open Season
All entrepreneurs need information to succeed, so it makes sense to make information sharing a routine part of your entrepreneurial culture. Communication also reduces the potential for mistakes, miscommunications, intra-office politics and other problems that can hold companies back or poison the working dynamic.
Jamie Walters, author of Big Vision, Small Business and founder of the enterprise leadership consulting firm Ivy Sea (www.ivysea.com), notes that “while this information-sharing trait is not intrinsic to all entrepreneurs, I believe it’s one they should adopt if they want retain their employees and thrive in business…Sharing information about your business with employees can help them become better collaborators as you work to create your vision.”
This means more than simply cc’ing everybody on memos. Information-sharing is a highly dynamic, multifaceted process. Inc. magazine writer John Case documented several examples of how fostering interaction among employees “maintains that creative edge by promoting open debate and the combustive rub of ideas.”
Returns on Investment
Employees are better able to contribute when they understand the expectations and desired outcomes of their work, both individually and for the business as a whole. Writes Walters, “Knowing the business’ big picture allows an employee to see where he might contribute talents other than the ones you’ve identified as applicable to the success of the business and his growth. Welcoming this participation builds commitment, too.”
Of course, it doesn’t hurt to augment this supportive environment with perks and other tangible rewards. But as www.employer-employee.com notes, you must understand the difference between “reatiners”—benefits, vacation, salary; “morale boosters”—a parking spot or weekly pizza parties; and true “employee motivators.” These include input and choice in how they do their work, encouraging responsibility and leadership opportunities, tolerance of learning errors and other practices that promote job ownership.
Encouraging entrepreneurship among your employees will also remove some of the mental burden from your shoulders. You can draw on more resources to overcome challenges, capitalize on opportunities, and improve productivity. With that kind of approach, the whole truly is greater than the sum of its parts.
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