Work on the business, not in the business; work smart, not hard; delegate. These are some pieces of advice you most likely have read in management books or heard in seminars. Despite following this advice, why are many business owners faced with problems of not getting their tasks completed as expected? Why do they have issues with the quality and efficiency of work their employees perform? Keeping the “I Love Profit” mantra in mind, how can we solve these issues?

The buck stops with you. Certain tasks that have enormous implications for your company’s reputation or financial viability require your active involvement. There are others that you can delegate to be able to scale your business. But when you delegate, you must follow some straightforward-yet-essential rules. One, make sure to communicate the expected outcome. Two, provide the necessary instructions clearly and the timeline for completing the assignment. Three, make yourself available for any questions and guidance if needed to help build employee confidence. Four, institute a reporting schedule. Depending on the project and its importance, ensure you are sent reports and updates and are notified of the outcome. Asking for reports and holding others responsible doesn’t mean you don’t trust them. You just want everybody to be on the same page with the desired outcome. When I ran my business, I provided my team with the necessary training, instructions and tools to set them up for success. But if I felt I needed to handle a specific task myself to achieve a certain result, I never felt guilty. Whom and what do I need to prove? I ran my business with a clear goal of becoming the best and the most reliable promotional product company in my area, not necessarily to win any HR awards.

Micromanaging is not always a bad word. In a small business, you’ve got to catch errors quickly and install systems for positive results. You don’t have time or financial resources to fix expensive and potentially devastating blunders. In my business, I used to have every new employee copy me on all emails they sent out for a few weeks or until I felt comfortable with their style and language. Most employees did fine with some minor corrections needed here and there, except for one. After the first week of training, I let him start working with customers. As I glanced over his outgoing emails, I noticed several grammatical errors, unprofessional language and spelling mistakes. I called him into my office and asked how he communicated with his customers at his previous job. His answer was “via text.” Needless to say, he wasn’t the right fit. Just imagine what would have been the consequences if I didn’t have this practice in place. If nipping such a problem in the bud is micromanaging, I have done it all my life and am proud of it. The proof is in the pudding as they say.

Review all business reports regularly. Do you know whom your salespeople are calling, what they’re saying, how they’re representing your company, and how many deals they’re closing? You’ve got to meet with them regularly, at least twice a week, if not daily, to review their call history and client touches. Even if you’re away, have them sent to you electronically. With the click of a button, you should have access to the reports on sales, purchasing, production, accounts receivable, payables, bank accounts and other key numbers. If you have department heads, ensure they regularly provide detailed and precise reports. In your desire for growth, don’t lose touch with these details. Remember, more than the top line, it’s the bottom line that really matters.

Be vigilant, always. Accidents happen when you take your eyes off the road. Similarly, the odds of disaster increase tremendously when you delegate and blindly trust employees (including your extended family members). This is especially true when money is involved. My IT contractor trusted his long-time friend with his company’s accounting so much that he gave her check signing authority. How did she return the favor? She meticulously started embezzling small amounts and robbed him of $55k over two years. Ouch!