How to Build Employees Who Think and Lead on Their Own

What do you think?

This simple question changed the way I manage carwashes and changed me as a person. It only took me about 6 years of carwash ownership to figure it out.

Before that, I had to make all the decisions. My decision was the best one. I was the owner. I knew more than the employees did.

But it created a poor working environment for both the employees and me. They never made decisions. Even small ones. I made them afraid to make decisions. “What if I’m wrong?”

When I became a multi-site owner, this management approach was unsustainable.

So, I accidentally developed this three-step process to help team members make decisions.

Step One – “What do you think?”

That question created blank stares and “I don’t know” answers. That’s fair. I never asked them before.

Step Two – “Come back to me with some solutions”

I sent them away to think rather than handing them the answer. I could have given them my answer, but that would transfer the responsibility back to me. It let them know I wanted a thoughtful answer, not a quick one. I was serious about getting a real solution from them.

Step three – “Why did you come up with this solution?”

I wanted to know how they thought. Did they take customer service into consideration? How were the team members affected? Once they gave me an answer, we could discuss how I’d approach it and why – and land on something better. This is when the real training and teaching happened.

Step four (Bonus Step) – “Here’s what happened and here is what I did”

Once I was confident in their judgment, they could make decisions on their own and tell me about it. Most of the time, their solution was the right one, and when it wasn’t, we had an opportunity to discuss it.

And I realized something else. It's not a crisis if they choose a solution that is different from mine.

This is when the company began transitioning from an owner-centric organization to a self-managing one. Employees gained confidence and took responsibility. Things got done. People were happier at work. People were happier to work for me.

“What do you think?”

It took me six years to ask that question. Don’t wait that long.

It’s magical.