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When 1 or 2 stores are on the line, the owner-operator can make all the decisions, but as the number of units increase, some responsibility must shift to trusted employees. It can be a difficult transition for multi-unit operators, who are putting in long hours to build a business and a legacy for themselves and their families. However, allowing staff members the freedom to innovate and experiment can set the organization up for long-term success.
“We have bi-weekly meetings to keep clear lines of communication open at all times. We want managers to find solutions to problems instead of leadership just pointing them out. In our meetings, we discuss the issues with our team and how we can offer support and tools for them to deploy their own solutions.”
“Typically, we have a conversation about the idea or experiment, the desired outcome, and the backup (in the event it doesn’t work). From there, I am good. It’s more about a discussion than approval. Hire smart people and then let them be smart and try new ideas. We can always fix it. Most of the evolution of this business is from others, not me.”
“Creating synergistic relationships. The more people involved in the decision-making process, the better the outcome tends to be. I also try to allow my team members to become as entrenched and knowledgeable in their fields as possible. It really allows me to release the reins. It doesn’t always have to go my way as long as our team ends up getting the right result in the end.”
“We give our employees goals and we give them that latitude to make decisions depending on what level of management they’re at. We definitely empower our employees to let us know if there’s something that we can do better.”
“With trust comes the ability for the team to try things and fail without the thought that it was negligent.”