What would happen if you became extremely ill? Or what if someone on your team who had a lot of authority and power (and tasks they completed) up and quit on you? Would your team know how they could step in and fill in those roles or fulfill other components of the business?
Most tasks in your business are repeatable processes. It takes the same actions over and over again to make your business run. You are most likely doing tasks over and over again that someone else in your business could do. So let’s start there.
What Don’t You Have to Do?
The first place to start is figuring out what you don’t have to do. There are always going to be tasks that a business owner or division manager will have to get done. There are also a lot of tasks that are time wasters and could be done by someone else in your organization.
A good place to start is to:
Write a list of all of the tasks you do. If you don’t know, take a week and create a running list.
Review each task-of these tasks, which do I enjoy and which ones zap my energy?
What is it that I have to do in the business?
What is someone else can do and complete just as well?
Once you know what you don’t have to do but can delegate, you need to write out the process for each task.
Processes and systems equal business sanity.
Processes also mean you can delegate to empower your team. The process written out means that you know they will get it done right every time as they follow the process written out.
Wonder what processes you can have written out? Here are a few examples:
- How to invoice
- How to add a contact to your CRM
- How to onboard a new client
- How to onboard a new employee
- Interview process for potential employee
And there are so many more.
Write out your standard operating procedures so you can get more time back. Your team will minimize mistakes and empowered to do their job.
This week, do two things:
- Write out a list of what you do, and then decide which tasks don’t require your input.
- Write out one process for one task you can delegate, then give that task to one of your team members with the process written out.
Once you do that, send me an email and let me know how it goes!
Cheering you on,
Running a business is has many highs and lows. At German Business Consulting, we solve problems at the source. Every business has roadblocks. The success of your business is too important to overlook.
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Stephanie German is a business strategist, adjunct professor, and speaker. She holds a master’s degree in organizational leadership and loves giving back to her community in a variety of ways. When she’s not consulting or writing about business, Stephanie is usually headed to the mountains or the beach with her family, drinking savory wine, or working on the latest project with her husband. She lives in Fresno, California with her husband Blake and her three spunky daughters, Cara, Kinsey, and Peyton. She is the best-selling author of So Your Boss Can’t Lead?