“You don’t build a business. You build people, then people build the business” — Zig Ziglar
Do you want to grow your business but have no more time or energy? Are you drained by wearing multiple hats? Do you dream of having an amazing team, but feel no one in your company can step up and take the lead?
One of the barriers to business growth is a lack of leaders within the organization. Entrepreneurs often try to wear all the hats and sit in every seat. But to grow as a leader and succeed, you must develop the people within your organization who share your passion, embrace your vision, and hold the same core values.
Learning to delegate is one of the most difficult things to do for a business owner. But it is essential if you want your business to grow and achieve exceptional results. You have heard that people are your most important asset. It is absolutely true!
How can you build your people? Here are three tips:
Focus on strengths rather than weaknesses. When you bring people to your team, you are hiring the whole person, not just their strengths. You also hire their weaknesses, such as inflexibility and resistance to change. Seeing what they bring to the organization and placing people in positions that utilize their strengths can help people feel accepted and appreciated.
Encourage a culture of learning. Create opportunities for growth-oriented behaviors such as developing solutions, being open to new ideas, and asking questions. Growth means stepping out of the comfort zone. Do you encourage your team to try new things even it means they may fail? If an employee makes a mistake, provide coaching, so they can improve next time. Remember that it goes a long way when you can stop and spend even five minutes to teach an employee how to perform a task. Focus on progress rather than perfection.
Provide regular feedback to help people grow. I have seen multiple situations where an employee was upset that their managers failed to let them know what they needed to work on. For example, a supervisor was moved to a different role but did not know why. He was resentful and felt that if he had been given direct feedback, he could have worked on it, but lost the opportunity to make things better. It is the leader’s responsibility to “care personally while challenge directly,” as Kim Scott says in her book “Radical Candor.” Giving feedback is often uncomfortable, but avoiding it is more hurtful to the growth of your people. Being candid is not the same as being brutal. If you create a safe space, people will appreciate feedback that helps them grow.
Core Action Consulting provides coaching to leaders so they can create an amazing work environment. I have walked in your shoes. To learn more about how Core Action Consulting can help grow your people and your business, contact me for a free consultation.
