Why your ultimate goal is to say, "I don't know"

The other day I went to a networking event at The Vant Group, which is a small investment banking company. They help small business owners buy and sell their businesses.  I wasn’t visiting them to sell my business or buy another but I was most definitely there to enjoy a little lunch!  The owner of The Vant Group also owns a catering business so I was expecting some good grub! There were several good contacts and great conversation had that day but the biggest takeaway I took from this lunch that's helpful for small business is based off a conversation I had with the owner of the company.  

Right before we started lunch, I was catching up with owner. It had been a while since we’d seen each other so I asked him how he was doing, how business was going, and most importantly what we were having for lunch. His reply to my question about lunch? He said “I don’t know.” I thought that was kind of odd, so then I asked him what we were going to be doing at the event. Topics for conversation or certain activities?  He again responded with “I don’t know.” Isn't that interesting that the owner of the business doesn't know a lot of the details that are happening in the business?  

One of the most important success factors that a lot of business owners struggle with is that they feel like they have to be the one that does the work.  They believe no one can do the work as good as they can do it.  But this mindset does not serve us well; in fact, it’s a complete hindrance.  And that brings me back to the value of being able to say the words “I don’t know.” To be able to say “I don't know” means that your employees are doing a lot of the work for you. They are not having to involve you in a lot of the details because they are able to take care of it themselves. As business owners you want to ask yourself, “Can I use the words ‘I don't know’” or do you know everything that is going on in the business because you are either the one doing the work or involved in all the details? 

If you can’t use those words or if you want to figure out how you can better accomplish the ability to say ‘I don't know,’ email us at [email protected] and we will definitely help you out. We offer complimentary 2-hour strategy sessions (a $2000 value) for businesses that want to look at opportunities in their business. We can chat briefly about the details of that session to see if it would be beneficial for your business. 

Website: https://seanschoenmakers.actioncoach.com/