As a business owner, you know that having productive employees is what will really make your business go. It would be a dream come true to have people who show up every day knowing exactly what they need to do. These people are the most productive and often the happiest employees you have. They think like owners and have the desire to make your business better every day.
The problem is that your people are confused about their responsibilities. They do not know what they need to be doing. Their positions have vague descriptions that have not helped them in any way. For you, each day feels like micromanaging. You are laying out specific tasks for each person, and then following up with them throughout the day. Your people have little to no ability to plan their days or activities.
If you continue to allow your time to be spent managing the day to day tasks of your people, your business will never grow. You are a manager, not an owner. As Michael Gerber says in his bestselling business book, The eMyth Revisited, you own your job not your business. When you own your job as a manager, your people will be limited by your ability and your availability. Your burnout will increase and the business you once loved may become something you hate and dread.
What if your people showed up with a plan every day? What if your people could identify and solve problems before they ever come across your plate? What if your people grew your business in ways you would never have thought of? How would that change the way you interact with your people? How would that affect the future of your business?
Here are 4 simple steps to clarify your employees’ responsibilities:
1. Create an Accountability Chart
For each employee, clearly define who they report to for their tasks or projects. There may be several, or it may depend on the project, but there needs to be someone for each employee.
2. Clearly Define the 4-6 Most Important Tasks for Each Position
Each employee within your business was hired for a purpose. You need to prioritize tasks within that purpose. They should not stray from the purpose, or else you run the risk of creating a distracted and overwhelmed employee.
3. Create Detailed Job Descriptions
Combine the Accountability Chart and Most Important Tasks to create a job description for every position. Even if the position is currently filled, create the job description. Clarity is always going to help your people.
4. Decide How to Measure Success
For your employees to understand if they are going to be effective, you first must understand what and how much they should be producing. Determine the markers for success and lay them out.
The clarity you are bringing to your people is going to enable them to produce at a higher, more consistent level. They will no longer be bound to you and can take ownership of their responsibilities. You will no longer have to manage the day-to-day tasks that drained your time and energy and held your
