One of the main criticisms of SME owners is that they often try to do everything themselves. By their nature, company honchos are hands-on people with a lot of confidence, and a belief that they can try their hand at new and challenging tasks.
There comes a point, however, where the well-intentioned business owner can find that they’ve bitten off more than they can chew, and that their unmanageable workload is affecting their productivity, morale and even their life outside of work.
It’s easy to joke about delegation – in offices, people will often laugh at the idea that those in management positions appear to give more and more work to other people rather than do it themselves, but it’s essential to make the best use of your staff and resources. Remember that, as a business owner, there are some tasks that only you can do. For everything else, there’s the rest of your team.
Bringing in through outsourcing
Of course, delegation should not be limited to your in-house team. Business owners often find themselves spending time on matters like their accounts, IT issues, web design, and recruitment programme, but these are all services that can be outsourced to specialists in their respective fields.
Management accounting services in particular can be a godsend to company owners, who generally neither want nor need to spend so much time scrutinising their books and spreadsheets, and should instead be looking for ways to grow their business.
Trust your team
Often, company owners have untapped talent right underneath their noses, and they are burdening themselves unnecessarily by not making the most of it. Don’t forget that your employees were brought in under your jurisdiction, so you should have the confidence in them that saw you appoint them in the first place.
Staff members will sometimes have a hidden talent that they might not even have been aware of themselves. If they show a spark, give them increased responsibility and an opportunity to shine in a particular discipline. This doesn’t just alleviate the pressure on you, it also gives increased responsibility to your team.
It’s surprising what you can learn about your staff from field trips and team-building days, with employees often showing themselves to be far better team players, communicators and problem solvers than you were previously aware.
Of course, there are many tasks that need to be spearheaded by the business owner themselves, and you should always ensure you give yourself a full day’s work, but making effective use of what you have at your disposal can help you avoid burning out.