Who’s the Boss?

Being a business owner has many perks as well as many responsibilities.  Starting out can be hard and there are many bumps along the way.  As the owner, you get the pleasure of not only being the owner, but being the janitor, the receptionist, the salesman, the laborer, the IT department, the marketing team and the CEO all in one package!  One of the biggest moments for a small business owner is when he or she gets to actually hire the first employee for the business.  This is a pivotal moment for any entrepreneur and it should be met with as much thought and significance as it deserves. 

What exactly does being the BOSS mean?  Who works for whom?  Who is the team and who is the coach?  These are questions worth considering and seriously addressing when you begin to hire staff and form a team.  At this point in the business, you have earned the great privilege of directly affecting another person’s life as well as the lives of those who rely on that person.  Are you prepared to handle this with the due diligence and concern that it requires?  Your employee(s) have put their trust in you to be the best business owner that you can be.  Shouldn’t you then do everything you can do help them be the best they can be at their job?

I had an experience several years ago where a business person I was working with was very frustrated with her team and couldn't understand why they were avoiding her and wouldn't do everything she wanted the way she wanted it done.  She felt that they didn't trust her and that they didn't like her.  Ultimately, what was really disturbing to her was that they didn't treat her with the respect she felt she deserved.  When I asked her why she felt that she deserved respect, she said…because I am the boss. 

Remember, being the boss doesn't ensure respect.  Respect is something that you must earn from an employee.  One way to accomplish this task is to change your perspective.  Instead of looking at it from the view that “he works for me”…try the approach of “I work for him.”  I know, it sounds a little weird, but think about it.  As the employer, your job just expanded when you hired your first employee(s).  You may be able to reduce your duties, but you have now acquired the responsibility to do everything you can for that employee in order to make them the best they can be at their job.  You must provide them with the proper training, the tools and resources, the support, the guidance and the leadership they need in order to do the job you have given them at their optimum level.  This may take time, but it the long run, it will make you a better business owner and the employee better at what he does.  AND… it will make you both better people in general! 

The employee took this job because he wanted to earn a living doing something that he was skilled or trained to do.  He has a table to provide food for, a vehicle to put gas into and other financial obligations that are dependent on his employment with your company.  You now directly impact his life in many ways… that is a huge responsibility.  Be sure that you are allowing yourself to be the leader he needs you to be and you are doing or “working” for the employee.

Some steps to implementing this approach are:

1. Ask the employee about his personal life and obligations so that you can understand what is important to him.
2. Take advantage of training opportunities for your employees and reward them for learning more about their trade and your company.
3. Encourage your employees to be involved in things that are important to them both at work and in the community.
4. Routinely ask the team what tools you can provide to them to help them do an efficient and optimum job.
5. Allow your team to ask questions, make suggestions and improve the processes within the company…this will create a sense of ownership and make them more committed.

Ask yourself – Do you want to be the BOSS or do you want to be a LEADER?  Do you want to dictate or do you want to motivate?  Do you want to be feared or do you want to be respected?  It all is dependent on your approach and how you treat your role as the business owner and the role of your employee(s).  You have the choice and you have the control…what will you chose to do with it?