Should owners still work in the field once they have employees?
I think there’s a balance.
An owner who never touches the field can lose sight of what the team is actually dealing with.
Long drive times.
Bad notes.
Locked gates.
Difficult yards.
Awkward customer requests.
Routes that look fine on the calendar but feel rough in real life.
Getting back in the field occasionally keeps you connected to the work and helps you spot problems you won’t see from behind a screen.
But there’s a danger too.
If the business only survives because the owner jumps in every time there’s a gap, the owner may still be the safety net holding everything together.
I’ve had seasons where covering routes was necessary. Employees were out, someone was leaving, or the schedule had to get done.
That’s part of ownership.
But if it becomes the normal plan, burnout creeps in fast.
The field can teach you what needs to be fixed.
It shouldn’t become the place you hide from fixing it.
Do you still work in the field, or have you fully removed yourself from production?