Talk to most entrepreneurs out there and they will tell you that people are the best assets they have. Listen to my guests on my podcast Inter:views to gauge the importance of their people in building their enterprises.
Hiring people is one thing, trusting them is another. But, what is the point of hiring people if you do not start by trusting their abilities?
Perhaps you do not trust them because your recruiting process is wrong and you ended up hiring the wrong employee, or you have a tendency to control and micromanage. In both cases, you are jeopardizing your business.
Try to drive a rally car at full speed without trusting your co-pilot! If you do not want to drive your business blindfolded, you need a strategy. However, it does imply that your people see the road too.
In fact, sharing your company’s strategy with your people is the 1st step in showing them your trust them.
You need to explain to them why you chose them and how they fit into the big picture, then empower them with delivering on their tasks, and make them accountable for their work.
Regardless of their position, people find motivation not because they are told what to do, but because they see how they can help the team, they understand the role they must play, they know which skills are necessary to achieve the collective goals.
You want your people to fully understand and be aligned with your strategy, so they take ownership of it and they all walk towards the same direction.
1+1 = 3.
As Eric Fankhauser the CEO and co-Founder of Swiss Auto Glass says:
“The more I empower our team, the easier my work is because they can handle more without my help or approval. They do their work in a professional manner because they will think about the implications for the company. I do not have to make any decision.”
Listen to his entire Inter:views episode:
There is an additional benefit in aligning the people behind your business strategy. It will also improve their strategic thinking, i.e. their ability to lift their thinking above short-term goals and view long-term objectives.
In other words, it will help them step back from the trees and see the forest.
Here is a video where I share the 5 elements of an efficient business strategy.
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