You know what I mean when I ask, “How many adults are there on your team?” Right?

How many people on your team 

• fix things that break
• correct mistakes when they see or hear them
• encourage others to be their best selves
• resolve issues when they come up
• meet deadlines
• take responsibilities for outcomes, not just tasks

…without being told to do it?

Stop for a minute and go through your team: Is he an “adult”? Is she?

When I ask business owners this question in a team of 10 – 15, they often say they might have two, maybe three, adults (outside of the owners). How many do you have?

If you want to grow, you need more “adults.”

If you feel unsupported, or like you have to “do it all,” you may not have enough adults on your team. And you need more.

Sounds great! Where could you hire another adult? How can you make sure your next hire has those qualities?

Here’s the catch about adults: they provide you reliable support, but they expect more of you in return.

• Adults want to be included in decision making. They want influence.
• Adults want to share in the reward. It doesn’t have to be equity, sometimes a sincere thank you is enough, but bonuses are appreciated too.
• Adults have a track record of success and want to see how they can make a difference. 
• Adults are usually paid well!

Are you ready to have more adults on your team? What do you need to do to prepare for adding them to your team? How will they know that they belong in your company?