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If you own a business and feel like you’re constantly reminding your staff about rules and processes, rest assured—you’re not alone.

When I first started my business, it was nimble. I made a rule one minute, and the next minute it was put into action.

Even when I hired my first few staff members, it was easy to talk over a problem and set up processes that would almost always immediately stick.

But as we scaled, I found myself with a new title:

“Chief Reminding Officer.”

I was stunned that people often needed to hear something about seven times before it sunk in.

I thought I was doing something wrong.

Why weren’t people listening to me?

Then it hit me, many of the newer staff weren’t part of the decision-making process for our systems. As a result, they didn’t feel the same sense of ownership over our processes as those who were involved in creating them.

As I’ve gotten to know other small business owners and readers of this blog, I heard this challenge come up over and over.

Maybe this wasn’t just me.

Maybe this is normal.

And once I understood that, I stopped worrying about what I was doing wrong and focused on what actually works: consistent reminders, clear communication, and patience.

And of course leading by example.