09/01/2020
What I learned building a 8-figure clinic in my early 30's....
For so long I thought I’d be better off doing it all myself or hiring low cost VAs...
1 - As a business owner, you don’t have to also be a people/project manager. You can bring people in to do that if it’s not your strong point. Don’t feel guilty for not wanting to do this, or finding it a drag. Make sure that your staff have KPIs/deadlines/and methods of being held accountable which suit your leadership style.
2 - Assign RESPONSIBILITIES, not tasks. When you give people ownership over an outcome, and you ensure there are adequate and sensible checks and balances in place, you are able to give them controlled autonomy. This means they will be able to optimize systems and processes to get things done more efficiently. Not only that, but your team members will take ownership over an area of your business and have something to be proud about.
3 - SOP everything. I mean… EVERYTHING. We organize our staff training into course modules for each department with the appropriate position outline/documents. This results in that a new hire can go into that course area over a couple of days and know exactly what needs to be done. We even have a welcome course which shows our Org chart, accountability chart, and the functions/responsibilities of each department.
4 - Have proper contracts and ensure your team doesn’t start working until they’re signed. Once they’ve signed it, have them go through the training course. Then, once they are done, we don’t just say “ok you have done the course so go for it!” No!! Instead - we set clear and realistic KPIs. And, we ensure they are on calls with their manager for a lot of their first couple of weeks to allow them to ask questions and get embedded into our system effectively. If they’re not performing, give them more support. If it’s still going nowhere, see if you can put them in a different seat. If not, get rid of them. They may be a lovely person but that doesn’t hit KPIs for your business...
5 - Don’t butt in. For sure - you may know how to fix it. But, if your team is working on something and then you step in, two things happen. First, you are training your team not to think for themselves. Second, you can destroy so much. Often, as the business owner, you want to barge in, fix something, and then leave. Which makes sense. But it means you’re bypassing any systems/procedures your team has setup which can damage the back-end of things. Do not micro-manage - something I have a problem with myself!
6 - Personal development is EVERYTHING. Leading a team is exhausting. Something will always come up. Always. Humans are unpredictable, and you NEED to be on your A-game to keep up. Patience is key, and biting your tongue will get you far. You need routines and time for yourself to do this. It may feel like a ‘waste of time,’ but I’ve truly learned that a leader's best time is spent away from their computer screen. Going for walks, dinners without phones out, listening to audiobooks, working with coaches, networking ← this is all the best use of your time.
7 - Do you see them going in the same direction as you? If not, cut ties. Relationships and friendships... this is the toughest area for me. But it really is important to keep your circle small. I’ve met my closest friends from coaching programs, mentorship groups, and on social media. Even people who have been clients of mine! If your ‘friends’ are just moaning and aren’t going to the same place you want to go to, then they are out of alignment with your future. That’s when things feel like a drag: when you do not see them matching up with the type of person you want to become. There’s always an opportunity cost: while with those friends, you could be making new and better friends. Friends who you can pull you up and grow with.
Bonus tip:
8 - Don’t rehire someone you once fired. I learned this one the hard way. One bad egg really can cost you hundreds of thousands… A toxic person will definitely spread throughout your team like wildfire. It took me over a year to let go of a toxic person that over that span rubbed off on the entire staff... No Joke!! Lesson learned...!
Hope that helped! I truly wish I had heard this stuff before I started building my team!
