Quick, how many hats are you currently wearing or juggling at your company?\u00a0 You know what I mean \u2026 how many different roles\/jobs are you responsible for in a given week?\u00a0 Like most entrepreneurs, your answer is probably that you jump in and out of 5 or more roles in a given week \u2026<\/strong> from owner\/CEO, to bookkeeper, sales manager, sales person, collections specialist, shipping clerk, marketing specialist, client service provider, customer service rep, IT troubleshooter, operations worker, HR manager, payroll processor, check writer, fire drill coordinator and on and on.\u00a0 What an exhausting and stressful way to run a business and lead a life.\u00a0<\/strong> And such chaos, confusion and complexity will greatly restrict your financial success.<\/p>\n
How do entrepreneurs get trapped in their business wearing so many different hats?\u00a0 It\u2019s because they never give up \u2026 anything \u2026 including hats.\u00a0<\/strong> That is one of the chief qualities that sets entrepreneurs apart from all others and contributes to their success. They are fighters, not quitters.\u00a0 They don’t give up, give in, quit, surrender, or yield.\u00a0 However, it’s that same stubbornness, persistence and perseverance that can get them into trouble wearing way too many hats and feeling overworked, overwhelmed and like prisoners to their business.<\/p>\n
Most entrepreneurs simply don’t know when to give up and let go … especially of certain tasks, roles and hats.<\/strong> They keep adding hats on their heads and mounting responsibilities on their shoulders.\u00a0 How does that happen?\u00a0<\/em> It’s simple.\u00a0 When starting a business, most business owners out of necessity must wear many hats and perform most, if not all, the technical roles and tactical tasks.\u00a0<\/strong> Given limited capital and armed with a can-do attitude, they willingly perform multiple roles and tasks without giving it a second thought.\u00a0 And that’s perfectly OK and normal the first year or so.\u00a0 However, over time, most business owners get trapped into putting on more and more hats \u2026<\/strong> and they seldom give any of them up.\u00a0 Sadly, and out of habit, they have a hard time letting go of the many tasks and roles they began accumulating from Day One of the business …<\/strong> especially the technical and lower-value tasks.<\/p>\n
As your virtual business coach<\/a>, let me ask you a few coaching questions<\/strong>:<\/p>\n
If you are constantly exchanging hats and not discarding or delegating hats, you need a new strategic mindset<\/a> and way to manage your business and life.<\/strong><\/p>\n
As owner and CEO myself of a North American business coaching franchise system<\/a>, I fully realize that in order to run a successful business there are dozens and dozens of skillsets that are necessary.\u00a0 However, I also realize that I can\u2019t possibly possess and don’t need to possess all those skillsets … I can hire others or utilize outsource talent.\u00a0<\/strong> Many owners mistakenly believe they need to be competent in all facets of a business: bookkeeping, accounting, collections, marketing, sales, PR, operations, customer service, IT, human resources, administration, management, legal, etc.\u00a0 What a tragic and costly mistake.\u00a0 Any wonder why most owners are exhausted or overwhelmed.\u00a0 Any wonder why most owners do the wrong type of work on a daily basis.\u00a0 They don\u2019t know how to strategically give up and let go.<\/p>\n
Over time, to become a more strategic business owner<\/a>, you need to give up and let go of your technical roles and tactical tasks (bookkeeping, administration, IT, operations, etc.) in order to advance yourself and the company.\u00a0<\/strong> As the business evolves and grows, so must you!\u00a0 You need to give up the small stuff to focus on the big stuff.\u00a0 You need to give up the \u201ctrivial many\u201d hats so you are left wearing the\u201d vital few\u201d hats of strategic leadership and marketing.\u00a0 Sadly, many owners never make this critical transformation from technical doer to strategic leader.\u00a0 Their heads are buried under hats and their lives are forever buried in the business.<\/p>\n
Here comes some tough-love business coaching<\/a>.\u00a0 If you have no employees, why not finally hire some or at least outsource some of these technical or lower-value tasks to third-party vendors?\u00a0 If you have employees already, aren’t there others in the company right now who could do these technical\/tactical tasks better than you, who would enjoy them more than you, and who can do them at cheaper hourly rates than you?<\/strong>\u00a0 Most likely yes! \u00a0Then give those tasks up.\u00a0 Give up those hats.\u00a0 Let go \u2026 dare to change your ways.\u00a0 Challenge your habits and assumptions.<\/strong><\/p>\n