“The success of a vision is determined by its ownership by both the leader and the people” — John C. Maxwell
In any industry, the relationship between owners and employees is crucial for building a culture where employees want to stay rooted in the company for good.. There’s immense value in understanding the perspective of each other. The reality is that it usually ends up in the “blame game”. Owners think most employees suck, and employees think their owner takes advantage of them and just makes all the money while they do all the work, so this creates a “doom loop” culture where employees feel used and unappreciated, and owners just think “good employees are too hard to find”.
What if you could create an environment where your team members felt valued, appreciated, and were empowered to think like owners? The good news… You can!
Here are a few key tips to get your team members to start thinking like owners!
Empathy is Key: Most owners struggle with this one. And the further your culture and morale is from greatness, the harder it gets to gain traction here. Understanding the challenges and motivations of your employees is essential. Put yourself in their shoes. Consider their workload, the physical demands of the job, and their career growth aspirations. Maybe they are going through problems at home. Empathizing with your employees fosters a culture of mutual respect and trust. And when they trust you, they’ll give you their hearts, not just their time.
Open Communication: Actively listen to your employees’ feedback and concerns. Share the wins of the business but also don’t be afraid to let them know when things are not going well. Like if a project went over on budgeted hours, they need to know. If there is a warranty problem, or service concern, don’t you just run out and fix it. Let the person that made the mistake own it and make it right. Ask them what they feel could be done better to improve the situation moving forward. Full transparency – For years when my company was struggling with retention and profits, I was always afraid to tell my employees. So I carried all of the stress load myself, with no hope to ever get better, and just thinking to myself “Maybe I need better employees”. Or even worse, I felt like I was failing as a leader. How did we begin fixing it? It started with communication. And over time, my Team wanted to help improve. What gets measured (and communicated) gets resolved! Start having weekly or monthly meetings with your key employees and share with them the Good / Bad / Ugly from the time period. It’s a sure way to start getting ownership “buy in” from your Team. Full disclosure here, working on improving things and sharing the wins is crucial. Your people will get tired and burned out if always only hearing bad news!
Encourage an open-door policy where they feel comfortable expressing their thoughts and ideas: Regular check-ins and team meetings will provide a platform for communication and collaboration, ensuring everyone feels heard and valued.
Hold Your People Accountable: This is crucial for maintaining productivity, achieving goals, and fostering a culture of ownership within an organization. It’s important that everyone understands their roles, the company values, and responsibilities clearly. Provide detailed job descriptions and project outlines, clearly outlining what is expected from each employee. Don’t miss this.. Nothing will destroy a great employee faster than watching you tolerate a bad employee and not holding them accountable.
Recognition and Appreciation: Acknowledge the hard work and dedication of your employees. Celebrate achievements, milestones, and contributions – whether big or small. Recognizing their efforts boosts morale, instills a sense of pride, and strengthens loyalty not just towards you, but also towards the company.
Invest in Development: Support the professional growth and development of your employees. Offer training programs, workshops, and educational opportunities to enhance their skills and expertise. Empower them to take on new challenges and responsibilities, fostering a culture of continuous growth and improvement.
Promote Work-Life Balance: Recognize the importance of work-life balance and prioritize the well-being of your employees. Implement flexible scheduling options and provide personal time off. Allow them time to recharge! Valuing their personal lives fosters loyalty and commitment!
Delegate Authority: Telling your employee to go tie down the skid steer is not proper delegation. It’s barking orders. Allow your employees to participate in giving a performance eval to somebody on their crew. Allow them to represent the company when talking to clients. Allow them to order their own materials from the supply yard. Give them the responsibility to keep your yard organized. When you delegate tasks, you create followers. When you delegate authority, you create owners!
The reason most companies’ culture is suffering is because most owners are afraid to allow employees to think like owners. You think “what if I train them on everything I know, and they decide to leave me?”… What if you don’t and they decide to stay?
Developing an ownership relationship between yourself and your employees is essential for creating a thriving environment. By creating more “owners” and less employees, both of you can contribute to a culture of shared success. Embrace the opportunity to bridge the gap and cultivate a workplace where everyone feels valued, empowered, and motivated to excel. The good news is not every employee wants to be an owner. There might just be one team member on your crew that is ready and waiting. And that is all the buy in you need to get started today! Invest in the ones that WANT to grow and you’ll attract more growth oriented employees. And that is where the magic starts to happen for your organization!