How to Get over the Delegating Blues
If you’re like the “old” me, you might have trouble asking for help or hiring someone to help you with your business.
The truth is, I’ve had to learn the hard way. I suffered from “analysis paralysis” when I had too much to do on my plate, and even though I outsourced book-keeping, article marketing and graphic design, I went begging on my hands and knees the other day to hire a fulltime Virtual Assistant.
Jack Welch didn’t empty the trash cans at GE. Steve Jobs doesn’t answer all of Apple’s emails, and I bet Meg Whitman never wrote a single piece of code for eBay. Instead, these high-flying execs knew that in order to take their companies to the top, they needed to delegate and outsource.
Put simply, if you try to do it all yourself, your head is going to explode. Why not accept that fact upfront and consistently focus on the parts of your business where you bring the greatest value?
Though delegating will save you tons of stress in the long term, in the short term it can be a little anxiety-producing. Here are 5 tips if you’re just starting down the delegation path:
Choose time limited tasks.
The best jobs to start delegating are those that have a concrete beginning and end. It’s much easier to ask someone to send out new client packages then it is to ask them to “improve your client retention program.” Start with tasks that you could easily create a checklist for and that have a start-to-finish quality.
Set measurable goals.
Define what “completion” looks like for you, and share that picture with the person to which you’ve chosen to delegate the task. For example, say “When you’re done, the new client’s information will be entered into a database, an invoice will be sent, the welcome package will be mailed and I’ll have a greeting card on my desk to sign.” The more specific you are in the end result you desire, the more likely it is that your staff will do a satisfactory job.
Focus on the outcome, not on the process.
One of the biggest mistakes business owners make when they delegate is they micromanage the process. Every step of the way, they’re looking over the helper’s shoulder, making sure everything is done “right.” This is going to cause multiple problems and is just so WRONG. Worry less about HOW the work is getting done and focus on the end result. You’re not saving time if you’re managing every step of the process. Remember, you’re trying to make less work for yourself, not more. Trust your judgment – you chose someone you could depend on, so now depend on them.
Focus on “good enough” not “perfection.”
This is a tough one for work-at-home entrepreneurs, who tend to be of the “If you want something done right, you’ve got to do it yourself,” school of thought. To save yourself time and stress, you’ve got to let go of that expectation. Some jobs don’t need to be done perfectly – it’s fine if it’s just done at all!
Evaluate the efforts and fine tune as necessary.
There’s always room for improvement – on both sides! Regularly, ask your helper where you could have done a more effective job of managing the process, and be open to her suggestions. Then if you see some ways she could work more effectively, suggest them in a constructive manner.
Now that you’ve gotten over the fact that you can’t do it all and are delegating some tasks, you’ve got a few minutes to breathe deep and take a look at how to spend a bit of free time. Do you need to spend it on taking care of yourself, working out or on a stress relief activity? Or, can you get out there and shake some customer trees to make connections and bring in more business?
I’d love to learn what sort of things you delegate to others. What’s something you used to do that you’ll never go back to now that you’ve been smart enough to put someone else in charge?
There’s still room!
A quick reminder that today is the day to take advantage of how to use LinkedIn to set yourself apart, show off your talents and land your dream job!
We know the job market is rough out there, so you absolutely must learn how LinkedIn can be your secret weapon to get noticed!
http://www.girpromotions.com/linkedinworkshop/
To your success!
Jane Morrison and JoAnne Funch
Your LinkedIn Guru Team
Create a LinkedIn Profile That Gets You Noticed
You know how you can size up a person in just a few minutes? Well that’s all the time you have to make an impression when someone views your Linkedin profile, and you want to get it right!
We’ve discovered there are millions of people out there that don’t know what they don’t know, and are showing up on LinkedIn all wrong!
Our mission is to teach you how easy it is to create a profile that gets you noticed, one you can be proud of. Our training can help anyone create a more powerful profile, and will be teaching specifics especially for those in a job transition and searching for work.
Join us http://www.girpromotions.com/linkedinworkshop/ and learn the do’s and don’ts of creating a profile that gets you noticed, and Hired!
Jane Morrison and JoAnne Funch
Your LinkedIn guru team
There’s still room!
A quick reminder that today is the day to take advantage of how to use LinkedIn to grow your business!
We know your marketing budget is tight, so you absolutely must learn how LinkedIn can grow your business exponentially!
http://www.girpromotions.com/linkedinworkshop/
To your success!
Jane Morrison and JoAnne Funch
Your LinkedIn Guru Team
Image is Everything, What’s Yours?
Did you know that if you’re on LinkedIn, and your profile looks unprofessional, it can cost you dearly in clients, or your next job offer?
We see it all the time, profiles that are out of touch, out of date, and make you look less than desirable.
There’s a way to use LinkedIn the right way, and don’t feel bad, because people aren’t being taught this. People are just told “you gotta be on LinkedIn” and you do the best you can with little knowledge you have to do it effectively.
Well don’t worry any longer about the impression you’re giving others based on your profile, because we’re here to set you straight, once and for all, so you can have confidence in your image and have others saying “WOW! Am I impressed” when they see yours.
Join us, Jane and JoAnne, two colleagues who realize the importance of you having a strong LinkedIn profile. We’re bringing our popular training to you virtually so you can take advantage from anywhere in the world.
http://www.girpromotions.com/linkedinworkshop/
Jane Morrison and JoAnne Funch
Your LinkedIn Guru Team
P.S. Don’t miss out, training space is limited!
You’ll get expert handholding and learn to make LinkedIn your secret weapon!
Boundaries: How to Set Them and Why You Need Them
The other day I was working with a client, the owner of a massage and wellness center, and she was stressing out about how her clients push her to extend the expiration date on her special offers. Her sub contractors push her on the date their rent is due and ask for an extension. She doesn’t want to work evenings but clients “insists’ that she be there for them.
It’s clear that she’s allowing others to run her business and her life, vs. her being in charge. When she asked me “what am I again to do, say “No”? I was dead serious when I told her that’s exactly what she’s going to have to start to do – just say no!
As business owners, it’s critical that we design a business that works for ourselves first, and in her case, she was making the clients and renters very happy, giving them price breaks, being open for their convenience and not collecting the rent while putting herself last. Everyone got what they wanted but her.
No matter if it’s kids asking you to drop what you’re doing to drive them somewhere, family members demanding your time or clients pushing you to give, give, give, you will be tested over and over again by others who want to take from you until you master the art of boundaries. So how do you know if you need to tighten up your personal or business boundaries?
Here are 3 sure signs:
- You start to feel resentful, worn down, and unappreciated. In your attempt to “be there for others’ and subconsciously wanting to be liked (and don’t we all) you’ve let others run all over you. This can only go on for so long before you start to feel some resentment and frustration.
- You’re not taking care of yourself. In the attempt to meet everyone else’s needs, you’re putting your own self care on the bottom of the list. Running ragged and saying “yes” to everyone else has you saying “no” to yourself.
- You feel a lack of respect. Remember, the nice guy does not always finish last. If you’re always agreeable to be given that a last minute committee assignment that no one else wants, you’ve created that situation toward you yourself.
So what’s it take to move from this passive mentality to proactive and assertive?
- Believe you have as much value and worth as everyone else. Your time, needs and desires are as precious as anyone else’s. When you see yourself as an equal, you’ll start to demand the respect from those who you’ve allowed to take advantage of you.
- Begin to say “NO”. It becomes easier and easier once you start. No reason to apologize for saying no, a good technique is to say “that just doesn’t work for me right now’ without further explanation and leave it at that.
- Begin to schedule in time for yourself. Put clear office hours on your office door and tell your family that you are not to be disturbed during this time – then stick to it!
Remember, the Universe gives us lessons to learn from over and over until we master the lesson. If lack of boundaries are a challenge for yourself, start fresh and begin to notice the tell tale signs, then stand up for yourself, as you’re the best ally you’ve got. What kind of amazing doors opened up for you when you began to say no to others and yes to yourself??
Is LinkedIn a sham?
Every day we hear about people struggling to grow and market their business, and it just about breaks our hearts.
They’re putting lots of time, effort, and money into fancy mailings, beautiful brochures and a comprehensive website, without results.
All those things don’t have the relationship factor, and people buy from those they know, like and trust.
Are you missing out on one of the most critical no-cost marketing avenues available today? Maybe….
But don’t bother with LinkedIn unless you know the 5 primary ways to position your profile that will get you in the top search engines.
Don’t bother and waste your time even having a profile on LinkedIn, unless you know which groups to join and more than that, how to interact with them quick and easy, in a way that shows you as an expert.
And definitely don’t bother with LinkedIn unless you know the secrets that will get you known FAST and have customers coming to you, wanting to do business with you!
LinkedIn is a huge free marketing venue WHEN YOU USE IT RIGHT.
And we’ll show you how to do just that, PLUS leave you with a comprehensive step by step guide so you can stand out and blow your competition away.
JOIN US, JANE AND JOANNE, FOR THIS VIRTUAL TRAINING SESSION:
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This will never be priced this low again so take advantage of this and stop missing out on one of the most powerful and effective, did we say f*r*ee? marketing avenues there is!
Your LinkedIn guru team,
Jane Morrison and JoAnne Funch
P.S. Don’t keep this opportunity to yourself! Share it with your friends,family and colleagues.
5 Surefire Ways to Ensure Business Longevity
The certificate hanging my office wall says I’ve been in business 10 years, and I wonder how that can be?
Imagine 10 years of being my own boss, of learning to market my business better, of disciplining myself to spend time on the tasks that matter most, and of helping clients live their dreams – priceless. And although there were a few times I wondered if I should go back to get a “real” job, I realize that my work is the most real and truest work I’ll ever get to using my skills and bringing me joy – I am truly blessed to be a successful Coach and business owner.
Reflecting on where my clients have come from, I begin to see patterns and similarities, and can see what works and what doesn’t to grow a six figure business.
1) Be Ready. Being self employed means having the liberty to run an errand or stop at the market between client appointments. But, at those times, don’t let your guard down, keep your business owners hat on. Keep looking for opportunities to share your professional face. I’ve gotten business while grocery shopping, booked a new client being on the massage table and scheduled speaking gigs visiting the chiropractor. Opportunities for business are all around you so don’t get caught without your business cards, your appointment calendar, and looking professional and polished for your type of work.
2) Be on the lookout for places to contribute. Is your local Chamber of Commerce looking for a new member on their board? Does the annual town festival need someone on their planning committee? When you contribute, you get known in your community and you build a reputation. The networking groups I started and ran were a big boost to putting me in the spotlight, enhanced my credibility and connected me with exponential opportunities. Put yourself out there where you will value contributing and making a difference.
3) Be aware that not every offer is an opportunity. Although this may contradict my earlier statement, be careful not to say YES to everything that comes along. Protecting your time as a business owner is critical to your success. Ask yourself if by agreeing to become involved will get you exposed to your target market. Will the role be something you love to do and that uses your talents while showing you as an expert? Take in consideration the other demands of your life outside of work. While helping to care for my Dad who had Alzheimer’s, I stepped down from some community involvement. Be aware that burnout is very real for small business owners and protect yourself from over committing, or you’ll find yourself backed up with work to do and feeling overwhelmed.
4) Say yes to opportunities whenever possible. When I collaborated with a colleague and gave a seminar on FACE BOOK, I was not the Facebook expert, but I was an expert trainer and my colleague had never done a live seminar. Together we gave a terrific training seminar, a smashing success. And the reason to say yes whenever possible is because one thing leads to another. At that training, a participant asked if I could do LINKEDIN training for his organization. While pretty familiar with LinkedIn, I did not think of myself as an expert. I said YES and brought in another colleague who was an expert that led to the two of us having a 6 month contract of LINKEDIN training for a Fortune 500 company that doubled our income on the spot. I focused on teaching what I do best; identifying a company brand and strategic visioning while my colleague focused on the details of using LinkedIn. By the end of the 6 months, I was an expert on how to use LinkedIn, and exponentially wealthier because I said YES.
5) Always have a Mentor, Coach or be involved in a Mastermind Group. The challenges of undertaking any new venue, whether growing a business, backpacking for a week in Colorado or learning how to do Asian cooking means you have to rely on others to guide you and show you the way. Trying to figure out the best ways to grow your business by yourself is like jumping into a river of swift current without a life jacket on – risky stuff. The money I’ve invested in my business over 10 years has allowed me to get to the place of security and knowledge I have now, where I can be a leader and role model to other entrepreneurs.
While I could go on and one with more methods, I’d love to hear yours. Reading books has added to my toolkit of success strategies, books like Napoleon Hill’s Think and Grow Rich and Michael Gerber’s the E-Myth. What is a book you’ve learned from or a success strategy you can share that has kept you sustaining your business for the long run? Send your thoughts to me at jane@janemorrison.com and have a motivating day!
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