As a business owner everything ultimately falls on you, whether it is a direct result of your hands on work on not, your name is on the building, you are attached.

When successes happen, this is a great part of being a business owner, but when mistakes are made it is far less glamourous. One way to combat this pattern is to do all that you can to set your employees up for success.

This begins at the first point of recruitment and continues on with training and mentorship throughout the duration of their employment.

The goal is to create a team of individuals that can thrive independently as well as collaboratively to reach the common goal and mission of the business you created. 

Certifications and Licensing

If your business is one that any branch of your employees will need to take formal tests or pass certifications to perform their job, helping them prepare is a great way to set them up for success.

In some cases, they might need this to be considered for hire in the first place, but it is not uncommon for the need to exist with current employees as well.

People that might be looking to change roles or move from an intern to a permanent staff member are great examples of such.

In the logistics industry there are strict standards regarding passing your CDL exam and pre-trip inspections is a big one. With a huge emphasis on safety on the road, earning a class A commercial driver’s license means that you have exhibited the knowledge that these inspections are mandatory and important, as well as how to conduct them.

As a business owner you can support your staff by joining these inspections at random to offer advice or a simple pat on the back. Knowing what parts of their non-passenger vehicle they need to inspect before they hit the road is made much easier when the checklist is handy.

Include this as a part of your initial and ongoing training as well as including a physical checklist in any car kits or pre-trip folders you provide your drivers with. 

Meet Them Where They Are

As a small business owner, you have dedicated and sacrificed so much to the company it can be gut wrenching to see an employee fall below your expectations.

But you must also ask yourself, are those expectations appropriate? You cannot expect an owner mindset out of a non-owner. If you get it, great, but to expect is not setting your employees up for success. Instead, meet them where they are. 

If you have an employee who is struggling, don’t demand and wish that they would improve. Talk to them, and discover together as a team what their roadblocks are and how you can work together to move past them so that this employee can achieve greatness.

No two employees will ever be the same, even if they have technically identical roles. Learning how to understand the person behind the position will go such a long way in terms of increasing productivity, efficiency, and job satisfaction for both sides.

Give Them the Right Tools

If your team does not have the physical things, they need to perform the duties of their job, they are not going to, plain and simple.

A huge piece of this puzzle especially in today’s climate is technology. Regardless of if you run a remote, hybrid, or in-house team, you need to provide the technological support everyone needs to be successful.

With so many ways to use technology for your business it is equally important to pinpoint specifically what you need so you are not overspending or buying programs and products that don’t align with your goals. Some common things to consider are:

• Project management platforms
• Video conferencing tools
• Direct messaging software
• Data storage/backups
• Accounting software

These are all examples of how to provide support as a boss/owner without having to directly ‘do’ for your team.

When you are thinking about what to invest in, speak to the people who are going to be most affected. Listen to them talk about how they perform their duties now and ways that could make it easier for them to do so.

The last thing you want to do is implement a new software or technology element that makes things harder for the people that are going to be expected to use it. Be sure that you provide the proper training systems and ongoing support as well.

Lastly, do temperature checks. Go back to those initial employees you consulted on the front end and listen to their perspectives once changes have been made.