This morning I was reading my newsletter from the Harvard Business Review and a new interview title caught my eye, "What Is It That Only I Can Do?". I took the bait and clicked. The article highlights the co-founder and co-CEO of Whole Foods, John Mackey. I watched the short video (included above) and really resonated with what Mackey has to say about management's job at Whole Foods. Even if you're a solo business owner, this still applies to you! Mackey says it's to:
- Hire Good People
- Make sure they are Well-Trained inTheir Work
- So That They Flourish in the Workplace and Give Great Customer Service
Seems like common sense. right? I thought so until I recalled the traditional jobs I've had (working for someone else) where every time it was "sink or swim". As in, you figure it out and see if you can make it work here. Also, that it's up to you to determine what makes this place unique and better than our competitors. Both of those, in hindsight, were a big no-no.
One of our favorite tasks at Aglow is doing a strategy session for this very reason. It gives us a chance to help businesses (of any size) really see who they are in the marketplace and what they plan to accomplish while there (and yes, you need to be specific). Then we really encourage our clients to share and implement these ideas with their team. When your team can better speak to what you do (and it should be the same message no matter who tells it) and know what you're looking for (rockin' clients that can't wait to use you), they can spend more time building your business rather than trying to figure out exactly what it is you do.
