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By Paul Giobbi, CEO, Zumasys, Inc.
In the highly competitive tech industry, it's not OK to be average. You have to be great.
Not only do you have to be great with your clients, you also have to be a great place to work. So beyond the standard game rooms, perks and benefits, what can you do to create a culture where employees are passionate about what they do and love coming to work?
Get Out Of The Way
For me, the recipe is simple: Hire right, connect people to a deeper purpose, and then get out of the way.
I strive to keep the organization structure as minimal and nimble as possible. Explain the big picture, communicate where you want the company to go, and encourage your people to make it happen any way they want. It’s a difficult strategy for any CEO, but the benefits far outweigh the risks.
Here are four steps you can take to help your people create success for themselves and your business:
1. Hire The Right People
Being told, “Go run your own show,” doesn’t work for everyone.
If you want a team that’s capable of managing themselves and achieving goals, your first step is to go out and find the right people. In addition to finding people who are technically qualified for the position, it’s important to look for the grit and determination that makes them a good cultural fit.
Hiring people who are self-aware, honest and passionate is essential to the success of a hands-off management approach.
2. Trust Your Employees Completely
It can be a challenge to let your people have free reign.
You have to trust that you’ve hired the right person for the job. They need to care enough about their success and the success of the company to do that job exceptionally well.
One of the keys to granting unconditional trust is to set expectations right away. Set expectations early and your people will follow the examples set by their peers.
Amazingly enough, the team itself will sniff out the people that aren’t working hard. Some may call it management by mob, but I like to think of it more as a biological immune response to illness.
Of course, when it goes wrong, it can go spectacularly wrong. But the epic train wrecks of entrepreneurial lore are few and far between. More often than not, the expected value of trust will be hugely positive.
3. Invest In Culture
Culture is one of the secrets of successful self-management.
People want to feel that they’re doing more than just filling a seat. Demonstrating an authentic commitment to the growth and well-being of your employees gives them a reason to reciprocate.
So make an effort to go beyond the standard office parties and perks.
By creating an affirmative culture where your employees feel valued for the work they do, they’ll be more inclined to go above and beyond. And eventually, the work they do and their desire to achieve excellence will be their manager—so you won’t have to be.
4. Find Purpose
But perhaps the most critical step in getting out of your employees’ way is to help them find the “why” in their work.
If people are pulling for something greater, they’ll draw on all their personal strength to push themselves in new ways. Whether that’s doing company-wide charity work, donating to a cause, or benefiting the community in some other way.
Giving your employees a higher purpose is critical to inspiring greatness.
The Bottom Line
You can’t force your company into becoming a great place to work. Many have tried, all have failed.
Instead, create the right conditions for your employees to feel empowered and passionate about what they do. And then they’ll be creating their own great workplace—one that they love coming to each day.
Just give them the “why”—they’ll figure out the “how.”
Born and raised in San Diego, Paul began his technology career at age 11. Originally founded in the small beach town of San Clemente, Zumasys has been a growth story, generating revenue increases in 12 out of its 13 years in business. Zumasys provides cloud computing and infrastructure technology solutions to more than 1,800 customers across the U.S. and Canada. Paul has a Bachelors in History from San Diego State University and he proudly served for the past seven years as a Board Member at The Prentice School, which recently celebrated 25 years of empowering students with dyslexia. [more]
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• Hire right, connect people to a deeper purpose, and then get out of the way, says @pgiobbi
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