Let me guess, at times you feel overworked, overwhelmed and a prisoner to your business. As an owner, your frustrations often outweigh your fun. And lastly, you are wearing multiple hats and functioning in multiple roles for your company. How did I do? Did this business coach describe you accurately... at least some of the time? If so, you need to QUIT! No, not quit being an entrepreneur or business owner...just quit doing some of the roles and tasks you have been doing for years or ever since you first started your business. Certain tasks and functions should be behind you now and delegated to others, inside or outside of your company. In order to grow your company to the next level, you have to quit some of your old habits, roles and tasks.
I know asking you to quit something is not easy. In general, entrepreneur are not quitters. They are tough, make-it-happen, kind of fighters. Quitting anything is probably against your very DNA...but that is precisely why you need to hear this business coaching advice. As you continue to grow your company, you can not do it all. If everything (transactions, problems, sales, fire drills, decisions, etc.) still needs to flow through you, you will be exhausted and a major bottleneck for the company. You will restrict the growth of your revenues and the development of your people. Quit some tasks now!
Whether you like it our not, you need to become a Strategic Business Owner and a quitter...quitting low-value tasks and roles as you elevate into more of a strategic leader. While an entrepreneur often has to wear multiple hats the first year or two in a new business, he/she should be quitting certain roles and tasks along the way as the business grows. Sadly, many business owners can not see the reality of that situation. They consider wearing multiple hats and working to death as being normal. While it may be normal for the first year or so, you should not be adding hats each and every year; you should be removing hats. In fact, over time, you should quit every role except one. Eventually, the only role you should have is to be the CEO (chief executive officer) of your business.
To help you better understand the need for this "entrepreneurial quitting process", draw your current organization chart with boxes for all your key functions (e.g. sales, operations, accounting, customer service, etc.) and write in the names of your people, including yourself, in charge of those functions (boxes). If self-employed, your name is attached to every box, except for those you outsource. Now, time for a reality check. As the owner, how many of the boxes you drew have your name at the top? Or, how many boxes (job functions) do you jump into on a daily basis to help out? How many different hats are you truly wearing? When was the last time you quit one of those roles/functions?
If you are wearing more than 2-3 hats, you are at risk for being ineffective, overworked, unproductive and eventually burning out. How can you lead your company, refine your vision, set critical priorities, draw up an action plan, and keep everyone accountable for hitting the plan if you are overly busy helping out in the factory, order department, shipping, accounting, sales, customer service, fixing computers, on and on? You can't.
As the business owner, your job is to create jobs, not work jobs. Your role is to define the boxes and how the work is to be done in those boxes (roles, responsibilities, standards, outcomes, etc.). Next, your role is to hire good people and train them on the work to be done in their respective box and what is clearly expected of them. Then let your people do their jobs. Hold people accountable but stay the heck out of their boxes...that's why you pay them.
The Growth Coach has certified business coaches throughout North America to help business owners, like you, to work less, earn more, and enjoy a richer life. Part of the coaching process is to help business owners become more focused, effective and strategic. To do so, owners have to learn to give up and quit the low-value, low-return type of tasks we call clutter. We can help you become a strategic, successful and satisfied quitter.
Daniel M. Murphy
President, Founder & Business Coach
The Growth Coach
Business Coaching Franchise System
Certified Business Coaches throughout North America