I was talking to a client about the things he could let go of and pass on to someone on his team. He, on the other hand, was explaining in very clear and reasonable detail why someone else couldn’t handle those tasks.
The trouble was, all the time he was spending doing those tasks, like having conversations with outside partners, was adding to his sense of depletion. Plus, he wasn’t able to get to the projects that he badly needed and wanted to do.
It’s really hard to assess all by your lonesome what you need to hang on to, and what you can pass on to other people. It had me crying.
Steve Mattus, our Director of Education, recently told me that he thought one of the biggest strategic priorities for Heart of Business was clearing my plate of all kinds of details so I could focus on what I was best at.
Thankfully he and Lincoln had already told me this in the past, a few different times, so I didn’t have to fall into a blubbering tearfully appreciative mess *this* time.
The moment comes, eventually, when you no longer have to carry everything yourself, and, in fact, for the good of the business, you need to let other people take things from you. It can be a humbling, overwhelming, and disorienting experience.
You have two choices, really:
– Wait until you are completely overwhelmed, and you are happy to have people take even the most sensitive tasks that really shouldn’t be handed over, because you are just worn down to a thin nubby.
OR
– Start to hand off tasks that you’re uncomfortable handing off before you get to that point.
If you’re beyond start-up, ready for a real leap and you can’t get to what you really need to do, I want you to try these three steps:
First, surrender. The first step is surrendering to the truth of what is. You can’t do it all. You can’t do it all. You can’t do it all.
You can’t even do half of all that needs to be done. What’s it like to face that reality?
Second, Remember. Remember love. Remember grace. Remember that there’s so much more than you.
Take a few breaths with this one. Your heart really needs it.
Third, name ONE task or project that regularly takes up a significant amount of time or wears on you emotionally, and face it. You probably are thinking you can’t hand it off. Change the question. “How could you hand it off?”
Once you admit the possibility and start the discussion with yourself, or, even better, with someone on your team or a trusted advisor or colleague, you might be surprised.
My client was surprised to find that something that took up loads of his time actually -could- be handed off. If something truly sticky arose, the person he delegated to could consult him. And even that consultation could be a learning so that the next time a similar situation arose, he wouldn’t have to be consulted.
Keep taking these steps and, over time, you might find yourself working a LOT less, enjoying your time more, and your business will start to fly in ways you hadn’t thought possible.
I challenge you: what’s one task that feels really challenging to hand off that you are willing to start looking at -how- you can hand it off?
Program or Coaching?
Group programs cost less, usually, and can be incredibly supportive community environments. Individual or group coaching costs more, but you get very personalized guidance and support.
Which to choose?
Don’t leave the choice entirely up to whim, or just what you want. In certain stages of business development a program just makes a lot more sense for a ton of reasons. Once your business has made some progress, then coaching makes more sense.
But, where exactly are you? Most small business owners I’ve spoken to either grossly underestimate or overestimate how far along they are.
And it’s why I invite you to take our Readiness Assessment.
It’s free, and whether you’re in start up mode or are in more advanced stages of your business, it will help you get right to the heart of what you need.
We can help you learn where your business is developmentally and what you need to help it grow. Click here for a Readiness Assessment.
With love and appreciation,
Mark
6 Responses
It’s SO important to make that distinction: what needs to be delegated, and what you still need to hold on to. So many leaders I’ve worked with have struggled to the point of either giving it all up or holding it all in – it takes time and patience (and sometimes a little trial and error) to find the right balance between the two.
So, so true… especially the trial and error part, Lisa. 🙂
THIS is what Steve Mattus is so skillful at helping me to see: There’s some things I simply do not need to be doing in my biz at this time. As I let go of those things, I’m freed up to do the things that I really love and enjoy. The whole enchilada is becoming easier. And I’m just a one woman biz at this point. Not at the point of handing off tasks, but rather making my own “to do” list much, much smaller. Overwhelm attacks happen less often. I am grateful. I’ve also gotten how much humility it takes to ask for help. And now I enjoy the humility of “not knowing” rather than freaking out and thinking “I should know this!!!”
Meg! So beautiful. Steve Mattus is a total genius at that, for sure.
This is so up for me! I hired a VA and started her with prepping my weekly newsletter (truncated blogpost, just like you do, so sustainable!), and after weeks and weeks and weeks of her not getting it right, I am ready to pull it back and do it myself! I realized I’m spending more time on it than when I did it myself (with giving her feedback and then correcting her mistakes), and I’m paying for the privilege!
Don’t know what to try next; am talking with her later today and then we’ll see. This is hard!
Sue- that is so hard! It sounds like maybe she’s not a fit. Someone in that role will make mistakes, but should be able to pick things up after maybe one mistake. If it’s been that long, I suspect you need to find the perfect person.
I’ve found, in the long run, it’s better that a position go empty than hire the wrong person. That said, don’t permanently retreat! You can find the right person!