Edition 471 – Take Control
Businesses go through bumpy patches, from time to time. It happens to the best of them.
Sometimes, the level of enquiry drops off. So, there’s a few less customers through the door.
At other times, errors from your team, or in your product or service, create inconvenience for your customers. They express their disappointment in the under-delivery of your promises, either directly, or obliquely.
Staff don’t have the level of commitment they should have, to their role. In some businesses, they’re going through the motions, not really caring about the impact on the business, or the customers, of their attitude, or their approach to their work.
Whilst we can blame our staff, our products, a changing market, government regulations, you name it, it’s been my experience that where these bumpy patches most often occur is in businesses where there’s poor leadership. The owner is present, but at times, asleep at the wheel.
When you own and run a small family business, if you don’t show leadership, the whole thing will get away from you.
When there’s a vacuum in leadership, those around you will assume the mantle. When they do, it’s with their own best interests in mind, and not necessarily those of the business, your customers or your family.
Running your own business requires tough decisions to be made. If you don’t like confrontation, then maybe you should be a sole trader, for there are times, when you have staff, that you need to stand your ground, articulate exactly what your expectations are, and let them know there are consequences for poor or underperformance.
By taking control, you’re letting everyone know, this is how we do it here, and this is the minimum standard we’ll accept.
That gives certainty to your staff, as they have a clear way forward, in the way they undertake their work.
It gives clarity to your clients, about the type of business you are, and the solutions you offer.
For your suppliers, they’re confident in your ability to pay their bills, if you have a business that appears to be in control.
Ultimately, by taking control, you will be happier in your day to day life. You went into business, in the first place, for you felt it was the best way to build a better life for you and your family. When you shirk your responsibilities as leaders, your unhappiness with what’s going on around you, will permeate the culture of the business. In times where I’ve observed that happen, I’ve never seen it lead to an upward tick in growth, or revenue, or profit.
This Week’s Tip
“There are times when you should seek consensus in a business
– and there are times, when you should issue decrees.”