Essentials Magazine Essentials Spring 2018 | Page 12

BY TOM SHAY
Transitioning
Your
Mindset
from Manager/Owner to Entrepreneur
Owners, managers and entrepre-
neurs. Many use these words inter-
changeably. We see a big difference in
the three.
MANAGER MINDSET
The person that thinks like a manager
uses the word, “I”, the person that thinks
like an owner uses “my” and the person
that thinks like an entrepreneur uses “it”.
With each of these words, while each of
them do own a business, the individual is
speaking about their business.
Our first look is at the person we
have referred to as a “manager”. The
manager is often engulfed in the day-to
-day process of operating the business.
We refer to the person as “manager” as
they often take these responsibilities as
12 essentials | spring 2018
being the most important component of
their work day.
While not wanting to make light of
the components of operating a business,
these are tasks that employees should
be concentrating on. As an example, the
“manager” often thinks they are the only
one, or the one that can do the best job
of selling merchandise.
With this thought process, the
“manager” thinks it is important they be
on the sales floor as much as possible.
If there is a problem in the store, this
person is more likely to resolve the issue
themselves as compared to creating a
process that will engage their employ-
ees and having them participate in the
resolution.
If the sales floor needs to be swept
or vacuumed, the “manager” is more
likely to perform the task themselves
as compared to getting an employee to
perform the task.
The “manager” is likely to be so
wrapped up in their day to day business
work they find little time available to
handle other responsibilities. They may
not make it to something they were
planning to attend because some em-
ployee is absent.
This situation of a person being the
“manager” sometimes occurs because
this person previously had that job title.
They may have been the generation of
a family business that is the next to take
control of the business. Unfortunately,
the parents did not teach the next gen-
eration all of the components necessary
for success.
Other situations occur in the case of