It’s Best When The Owner Is In Operations

Small business owners frequently want to manage their business from a distance, preferring to be nonoperational. This is not always the case but it occurs often enough. “Absentee management” is the term. This approach seldom works as well as being directly involved for a host of reasons:

1. The owner can motivate better than anyone else.
2. The owner can better set the leadership tone for others to follow by demonstrating his commitment.
3. The owner can make critical decisions on the spot as no one else can.
4. The owner can see and feel what is happening in the business firsthand and unfiltered, allowing for a deeper, better and more accurate presentation of the situation.
5. Customers, clients, vendors and creditors prefer to deal with the owner over a manager as he has the final word.

All of these duties can be effectively delegated, however, in start-ups with changing circumstances and challenging times, it simply works better to have the owner “on the ground”. Can it work any other way? Of course, everyone must implement their own style, what works best for their business. My observation is that this works best. If possible, be on the front line, in the trenches, fighting the battles shoulder-to-shoulder with your employees.