While you would like to be everything to your startup, you simply can't be around all the time -- you need to be focused on growth and strategy, not management.
Luckily, that's what a killer team is for. But how exactly do you instill the best values and practices to make sure it's business as usual with or without you? Eleven entrepreneurs from Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) weigh in on the following:
Q. What is one best practice you have put in place to make sure your company runs without you?
1. Have a Solid Core Team
I've established a routine with my whole company, but having a solid core team is what keeps me confident day in and day out.You must be vulnerable to be able to pass the baton off to someone else, so you need someone you can trust with your life. Having 1 to 2 people as my "alternates" for whenever I need to step away keeps me happy.
– Rob Fulton, Automation Heroes
2. Write a Killer Manual
We have put intense focus and attention on making sure that we have every procedure and policy recorded in an easily searchable database. At this point, just about every single question anyone might have is recorded and easy to find. But in the rare situations in which someone does have to ask me something, they are responsible for recording my answer as a new article in the manual.
– Mark Krassner, Knee Walker Central
3. Hire Only "A" Players
The best practice we have in place is hiring only "A" players. Hiring for talent is the best practice you can put into place for greatest impact on your business -- with you or in your absence. – Mary Ray, MyHealthTeams
4. Use Timed Deliverables
I don't have time to babysit, and there is certainly no room in my schedule to review every time sheet and make sure it adds up. I have put a system in place that maps out approximately how much time a certain task or job should take, assign it and get updates on progress. Everyone is on the same page when it comes to expectations and timelines. I don't have to look over shoulders.
– Maren Hogan, Red Branch Media
5. Set Clear Marching Orders
From checklists to scenario-driven plans, I'm able to step away, as my team knows exactly what to do and how to handle situations when I'm not there. A best practice that has worked well is leaving a Plan B while I'm out. It takes time on my end to create the plan, but knowing they have another set of guidelines and course corrections makes everyone feel at ease and confident.
6. Make Sure You Have Strong Management
It is vital to build a strong, motivated management team. Nothing motivates people more than ownership, which is why we have an aggressive stock option plan for key team members. – Sean Marszalek, SDC Nutrition, Inc.
7. Empower Employees
Develop an attitude where people don't fear making a decision themselves and failing. If we've hired good people, more often than not, their call will be right (and doesn't need my OK). This builds their confidence over time, and also help the company move faster as far as execution.
8. Challenge Your Team
I put an emphasis on great people, a great process, and a quality product. Ensure that those three elements continue to be the core of your focus, and the company will be successful. Allow your people to make their own mistakes and encourage risk. The right people will figure it out; the wrong ones won't. Promote those who do and remove those who don't.
9. Align Objectives
Recruiting and empowering "A" players is necessary but not sufficient. For the company to run in the leader's absence, they also need to be aligned on vision and objectives. Teams that are reliant on the boss' orders to provide direction hit roadblocks or stall with questions. Teams that know the overarching goals and where they fit can make decisions from the front lines. – Jason Henrichs, Startup Institute
10. Test the Foundation
In a non-critical time, take a day off or step away from the company and see how things run. It is better to identify issues or opportunities when it is non-critical, instead of when there is a fire drill.
– Bobby Emamian, Prolific Interactive
11. Create Areas of Focus
As your company grows and you have employees to do things when you're away, each employee should have their area of focus. Over time, my job has increasingly become to steer the ship, manage employees, and build key relationships. If I'm away, no area of the company falls short because there's no specific area for which I'm solely responsible.
