Picture the scene: the sun is shining, you’re lazing on a lounger by an azure sea, you reach out to take a sip of your Pina Colada and…your phone rings. Again. You’re taking a much-needed break away from your business to spend time with loved ones, and yet you can’t get away from it.
Business owners are ‘always on’, and there is always more to be done. Often, you find yourself working more hours than anyone else in the business, and you rarely get a chance to take a break and devote time to your family and loved ones. Sound familiar?
Do nothing about it, and you will most likely end up feeling frustrated – burned out even - and fall out of love with your business because it’s not giving you what you originally set out to achieve. For a lot of people, that goal is time and freedom. Your business should be helping to deliver what you want out of life – not sucking the life out of you.
One of the most common reasons we hear as to why business owners are doing too much is that “people aren’t stepping up.” If this is your experience, I challenge you to ask yourself: Is that really their fault? Frequently, when this happens, it’s because there’s a lack of structure and process in the business; roles are not clearly defined, and people haven’t been empowered to lead so that the owner can confidently delegate and take a step back from the day-to-day to focus on strategic growth.
There may well be some soul-searching involved. You have to be honest with yourself about where changes could be made, and you have to commit to doing things differently. It can be difficult to let go of ‘your baby,’ but you need to give your team autonomy, responsibility and accountability – or you’ll never get to truly enjoy time outside work.
Challenge yourself about whether the things you are doing day-to-day in your business are really the best use of your time. You should be spending the majority of your time on things where you add the most value. Everything else should be delegated to people who are equipped and trained to perform that role.
Your success is restricted by a lack of people in the business who can help you take it further. Look at the key tasks that need to be done and outline the roles to deliver them. Get the right people around you to perform those tasks, and your role becomes leader and guide. You should be an orchestrator. A managing director in the true sense of the word.
This was brought home to me recently in conversation with an Alternative Board member, who told me that by investing in creating a structure and leaders in his business and learning to delegate, he has gone from working around the clock to taking five weeks off with his family and spending last Christmas in Australia – something he would have previously found impossible to do.
Investing in building a strong team around you will help to drive your business forward and undoubtedly create more time for you. What would you do with that time?
Natalie and Elliot Rich run The Alternative Board in York.
