I’ve met many business owners and entrepreneurs over the years who have shared a common problem with me – the sometimes uncomfortable pressure of responsibility for the success of their businesses (and ultimately their employees) – and feeling it’s all down to them. Sound familiar?

When times are good, you revel in it. You love the feeling of spearheading a growing, dynamic organisation. It’s energising and exciting. Success breeds success and, as the person taking responsibility, you take enormous pleasure in leading celebrations and reaping rewards as the business thrives – and you should, you deserve it.

But, as the world moves at an increasingly rapid rate, keeping pace with the competition, let alone staying one step ahead, can create enormous and constant pressure.

And, when times are hard or business progress is slow, that weight of responsibility can have a serious impact on both your physical and mental health. So, how do you ease the strain, build a fabulous business, and be a great CEO or owner? It’s often down to the misconception that as the CEO you need to have all the right answers – when in reality, all you normally need are the right questions, directed at the right people, in the right way, at the right time.

There’s an irrefutable link between employee engagement levels, customer engagement, and the success of your business. You may own your business but the simple fact of the matter (whether you choose to admit it or not) is that nobody knows what makes it tick better than the people that work within it – your employees. They’re the people on the front line who deal with your customers and suppliers. Day in and day out they hear what people really think about your organisation’s services and products and often have a ground-level inside track on your competitors.

So, in simple terms, the answers to how you can improve your business are coming to work in your business every day in the minds of your team. All you need to do is find a way to unlock this untapped gold mine of information and take some of the strain off your shoulders.

The question I frequently ask business owners and leaders in your position is this:

How do you currently, systematically, and regularly measure and improve employee engagement?

Most businesses don’t have a good answer to this question and as a result, they waste talent, resources, and a wealth of untapped potential. Those that get it right create a structure and framework that enables feedback and ideas to flourish.

It works best when the following is true:

  • It’s confidential and anonymous – so your team tells you the truth without fear of retribution, rather than telling you what they think you want to hear. Learn more about why this is so important with this quick three-minute video detailing our anonymous and confidential employee program.
  • It enables you to ask the right questions at the right time – i.e., questions that are pertinent to your specific organisation and timely around the key opportunities and issues your business is facing at any given point in time.
  • Enables you to interpret feedback and scores in a way that means you can immediately hone in areas of focus that will have a meaningful impact on your business.
  • Increasingly motivates, engages, and empowers your team to take more personal ownership (where you want them to) for fixing what needs amending and amplifying your organisation’s strengths.

But, to do this, you have to be ready and you have to be brave.

Admitting that you don’t have all the answers and are prepared to listen isn’t a common trait in ego-driven CEOs. But, those that are prepared to tap into the valuable resource their team can provide by admitting a little vulnerability, reap the rewards of a more engaged business that’s easier to run and enjoy!

Learn more about how Engagement Multiplier’s structure and framework puts you in a position to ask the right questions.