Comments on: Does Anyone Care Like The Owner?

By: Joseph Higginbotham

Joseph Higginbotham — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 12:48:55 +0000

Ren:
It might surprise you to know that several times in my career I was pretty sure I cared more about the boss’ business than the boss did.

Bosses: when you hire creative, smart problem-solvers, let them solve problems.

By: Kevin Lewis

Kevin Lewis — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 16:41:10 +0000

No… they do not and no way to train them.
Have them call in three to five years when they are on their own..

By: Gopal Mitruka

Gopal Mitruka — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 15:21:54 +0000

There will always a difference between an owner and employee in terms of involvement, commitment etc. However the gap can surely be reduced by making the employee an important stakeholder in the organisation by showing him the growth path and how he or she is critical to the Company meeting its business objectives. One of the other ways of achieving this is through an ESOP program.

By: Jeffrey Stukuls

Jeffrey Stukuls — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 15:16:50 +0000

We’re open book, open strategy, open management. Everyone’s bonus is tied to profits & everyone is bonused the same way…it’s unlimited upside for team members for driving greater profits. Therefore I feel like I have 22 owners around me all the time!

By: Matthieu GILLE

Matthieu GILLE — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 15:11:39 +0000

In fact I discovered quite early that most people do not want to be too involved. They prefer you to tell them what to do and how to do it. They need guidance. In a nutshell they want their job to be easy, the path to be cleared. To me only 1% acts like the owner and enjoy their work. 29% act as if, only caring about their career. They are easy to reveal: They would accept a challenge, only if direct reward is expected. Their vision is short term. With pressure, they act like mercenaries… cheap way to eliminate them.

By: Rob Katzman

Rob Katzman — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 15:03:47 +0000

Is it any surprise that employee Travel and Meal expenses consistently fall so very close to the maximum allowed by company policy? I would not want our traveling employees to eat a can of beans for dinner, but would ask that they select a restaurant comparable to where they would go if paying for their own meal. Sadly, it was scoffed at, particularly by senior leaders. The company has since been acquired.

By: Bill Boyer

Bill Boyer — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 14:48:23 +0000

Tie the performance of the company to some part of their compensation.

By: Cy Wilkinson

Cy Wilkinson — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 14:38:50 +0000

It’s important to consider that a large % of the population don’t want to care like the owner! The ones that do generally rise to the top in their current organisation (or move on if that doesn’t happen) and the rest are convinced that they are content with where they are.

By: Steve Stanganelli, CFP ®, CRPC ®

Steve Stanganelli, CFP ®, CRPC ® — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 14:23:54 +0000

If the owner cannot communicate a compelling vision, then why should an employee care? Hire someone for a job and that’s what you get. Recruit someone for an adventure and you’ll see a different attitude.

That being said simply turning employees into independent contractors can create a dangerous situation for the company bottom line (especially if you run afoul of the IRS guidelines).

By: Daniel S. Markham

Daniel S. Markham — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 14:21:47 +0000

No; and they can’t be expected to. At best, they have to believe in what the business does, and plans to do, and become a contributing “partner” in that success and achievement.