Abundance Leadership Blog

Lynnea Hagen, MS, CDC
Organizational Development Consultant, Success Strategist,
Speaker, Coach, and Best-Selling Author

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4 Steps to Delegating Without Abdicating

Building Effective Delegation

Mastering effective delegation can help business owners/managers on many levels. It can help them gain confidence AND multiply good organizational results by a greater level. It can prevent job burnout, reduce stress levels, and promote healthy work/life balance. And, delegation is one of THE greatest tools to equip and mold others to grow as leaders, as well as improve the team and organization. But often delegation is weak, or simply lacking from an organization.

Why do people NOT delegate? It often comes down to feelings of fear: fear of loss of control, fear that someone else might actually do it better, fear of the unknown, fear of judgment from others (“He can’t handle this on his own”). And, as Mitch Meyerson states, some people are “compulsively self-reliant.”

Often there are stated reasons around not delegating: “I tried it once.” “It takes me longer to teach them than to do it myself.” “I know I’ll do it right.” The real reason, in some cases, is that the owners/managers simply don’t trust themselves. They don’t trust that they know how to delegate without losing control while doing it.

It helps to move someone through the delegation process if they understand that delegation does not mean abdication. Loss of control does not need to be part of the equation if delegation is done purposefully and properly. Proper delegating means empowering someone else, and, as result, growing the results of the organization (and, possibly, make yourself look better). The manager/owner—the “delegator”– must understand that he/she is ultimately in control, and that every employee needs to get better in order for the business to grow. Delegation involves leadership and growth for everyone. If an employee doesn’t grow, that person will possibly be a drain on the organization. The delegator must be able to see: “I add value, but my focus is to help the WHOLE organization grow in value, in order for it to move forward.” In other words, like a chain, the organization is only as strong as its weakest link.

Additionally, the delegator needs to look inside him/herself and answer the questions: “Why am I trying to build this organization for myself, as a person?” “What are MY needs as the owner/manager?” Partnering with employees is a great way for the owner to get his/her personal needs met…and delegation is a great way to partner with employees, and inspire them to be their best.

What is needed to start an effective delegation process? First, the delegator needs to give the employee (or, “delegatee”) the whole process, i.e.: a “map”, showing processes, procedures, and guidelines in the area being discussed. If everyone is “too busy” to do this, there may be a need to look at how organizational planning is done. In this situation, as in business planning, this “mapping” time, is time well spent (1 minute of planning saves 9 minutes of chaos. True).

The owner/manager needs to partner with the employee to set the guidelines. If a milestone is missed, they need to work together on a recovery plan. The boss needs to ask the employee what she needs to make the delegated task work: what is needed externally (office space, software, etc.), and internally (to meet regularly with the boss, other colleagues, etc.).

Four Levels of Effective Delegation

There are four levels of delegation, from novice to advanced, depending on the skill level of the employee. These are, in ascending order, saying to the “delegatee”:

1. “You go do _____, get facts, make a suggestion, and I’ll decide.”

2. “You go do _____, get facts, make a decision, and wait until I say ‘Okay.’”

3. “You go do _____, get facts, make a decision, take action, and report regularly to me.”

4. “You go do _____, get facts, make a decision, take action, and only tell me when something goes wrong.”

To develop an effective delegation process, the owner/manager must appreciate some truths:

· Proper delegation grows employees, and often builds organizational morale and loyalty.

· Proper delegation can ensure that the proper result occurs—and in a timely way.

· The majority of employees expects and requires clarity of assignments.

· The majority of employees expects and requires mutual understanding.

· There is a distinction between end results expected and how the task is accomplished (i.e.: let the ends justify the means—after all, someone else may find a better way to accomplish the task).

· A series of checkpoints and controls must be built in when delegating a task.

3 mistakes to Avoid

There are 3 mistakes to avoid when introducing delegation into the owner/manager’s skill set:

1. Starting delegation when he/she is in a crisis (at this time, focus should be on recovery and planning)

2. Not establishing benchmarks and/or milestones with the employee.

3. Not specifying results for the delegator to live up to, as well as the delegatee… Good delegation means mutual accountability and support.

Learning and practicing effective delegation has its rewards–for the employee, the company and the manager. It is well worth the time and practice to do it well. If you’re open to having support to effectively delegate, let me know. lynnea@abundancecoaching.net

Achieve What You Want Most by Vision-Freshening!

Have you had your vision checked lately? Not your eyes…your Vision, with a capitol V.

Even Bernie here knows that we need to do whatever it takes in order to see our way clear and make progress! Vision is essential…it’s even written that “without vision, the people perish.” As you all know, I’m BIG on building strategic business plans to run and grow your business; and a powerful vision is an essential element of that plan to propel you to the top of your game, AND to the top of the “success pyramid”.

Yes, vision is a hugely important element, yet often glossed over or ignored. This “vision gap” explains why some people who for 10- 15 years have been on a steady growth path, suddenly become bored.

In most cases, the reason is that they are trying to move forward using yesterday’s plan…yesterday’s vision. What a shame! So much more can be achieved, and passion renewed by “upping” the vision to something that truly excites and inspires.

Expecting tomorrow to be more rewarding, while using an outdated plan, is like trying to drive to New York with a 1955 road map. You may get there, but at a high cost in time, energy and unnecessary frustration. Is that what you want?

Using the map analogy, above, there are three obvious problems when you don’t have a map OR a personal vision, and both instances cause long-term problems:

You cannot move in new or inspiring directions.

The lens through which you now see will not move you from where you are now.

Your creative energy is kept low because your focus is, perhaps unconsciously, on the old ways– and the old maps.

Your focus will be on your frustratingly slow progress, and you will miss opportunities that cross your path.

How to fix this?

Go into the future. Failing to start with what you REALLY want (for your company, yourself, your family, your legacy, etc.) is kind of like doing a “Fire! ready, aim” sequence. In other words, there’s no real target. You’re just shooting! What a sorry waste of time.

So, what do you want? What does the word “success”– the STATE of being in “success”– mean to YOU? How will you know when you get there? Thoughtful answers to those questions are probably a lot closer than what you may think at first.

Start by answering these questions: What is the one area or condition in the state of the world that I’d like to impact? What would I like to do with and for my family? What kind of legacy would I like to leave? How would I like to spend my leisure time? Where? How often? With whom? How would I like to expand my giving back to the world? How would I like to expand/educate/grow myself?

Apply the idea “make the future happen inside of you” as often as you can. It is a great way to create a “bridge” to what you want.

Ask yourself several times a day, “Is what I’m doing at this moment leading me to what I most want?”

The thing is, if you can decide what you want, you can also decide how to get it. Most of us gloss over the “what I want” questions too quickly….so, please, take time to think deeply about these things.

Action item –”a week of wants”:

Spend the next week mulling over where you want to be in 18 to 24 months. Write things down as they come to you, or do a “brain dump” or a “heart storm” (as opposed to a brain storm) session alone or with your “nearest and dearest”. Write in a journal or carry index cards for the whole time.

Here are the rules: No edits allowed and no trying to answer the “how” questions. Just let it flow, and jot down your ideas. Within a week, you will have plenty of inspiration and ideas… not only a nice beginning to your new map, but the proper sequence of “Ready, aim fire!” will be put in place.

Onward and Upward!

Lynnea

Love and Business—a Strange Brew?

James Taylor sang, “Shower the people you love with love.” Why is this important?? Because without love, relationships wither and die! The same thing applies to business. To have a vital, growing business, we need to bring in that most essential human element, love….

See the article below, and you’ll see what I mean.

_______________________________________________________________

What’s Love Got to Do With It?

When it comes to the elements of business success, most people don’t think about love. When I bring this topic up (cautiously, I might add), I can almost hear the Tina Turner song, “What’s Love Got to Do With It?” playing in the background. But love is essential in business, as it is in our personal lives.

Yeah, I know that love is a “touchy-feely” word, but I’m going to stand my ground here and state that without bringing love into your business, you’re sunk…or at the best, stuck. Stay with me here, as I examine what is needed for a business to go beyond surviving– to thriving.

You, your customers and clients, and your employees all need to the same things—to have your needs taken care of, to be heard, to be respected, to feel appreciated, to be treated with integrity, and to know that you are cared about. When you look at these elements, they’re parts of what we call “Love”. Your employees and your clients are the “life blood” of your business, as it were. Just like you, they don’t check who they are as human beings “at the door” when they are in their professional environments. And as human beings, the deepest calling of our hearts is to be loved.

The ugly truth is that, according to research by the Gallup organization and the US Labor Bureau, the main reason that employees leave a job is because they don’t feel appreciated, they don’t feel valued…the same reason that many clients leave businesses…and many people leave relationships.

Where to start? Start with listening, with truly HEARING. I recall a saying–“Being heard is so akin to being loved, that the two are indivisible.” Try this with your children, spouses, friends, employees, and customers. Then take the next step, and address what it is that concerns them. Then watch what unfolds…and what happens to yourself as you become the type of leader that others want to follow.

So love your employees, love your clients, serve them by wanting for them what you want for yourself, and you will find that your business AND your life will be much richer.

Contact me for support, tools and guidance on how to turn around your success in ways that work!

To Your Abundance, In Love–

Lynnea

Start here! True happiness & success come from natural abundance.

Do you ever feel that, although you’ve experience some success, there is something holding you back from reaching your true potential… from truly shining?

Meanwhile, life seems to be passing you by; you see what others are achieving, and believe you could never have what they do.

If this sounds familiar, I’d like to invite you to attend a complimentary virtual summit, where I’m honored to be a featured speaker! It’s called the Soul Lift Summit: Live Your Bliss by Tapping into the Natural Abundance of Love, Wealth, Health and Time. It began December 1st, 2016…and you can still tap into it, getting all the free gifts and recordings!

All you have to do to attend is sign up here:

It’s Your Time to Shine http://soulift.rurl.me/Lynnea-Hagen

When you go to the link above and reserve your spot for the Soul Lift Summit, you’ll hear from 20 experts, coaches, therapists, and psychologists about how you can move from a scarcity mentality, to an abundance mentality, so you can finally live your bliss!

You see, when you’re operating from a scarcity mentality, it’s hard to be happy with anything, ever. You often wind up feeling unhappy, unfulfilled, and hopeless, like you may never experience the life you want to. It can be debilitating, I know.

I’ve had many losses, heartbreaks and challenges that I’ve presented in my books and speaking engagements…and I KNOW we all can acheive our dreams!!

The good news is that when you really understand the difference between these two types of mentalities, and make the critical mindset shift toward the abundance mentality, you can finally set yourself free and experience the fulfillment you crave!

My friend Estela Rodriguez-Jebril created this event to empower women like you to transform their mindsets, recognize their strengths and talents, and finally, to transform into the strong, passionate, successful individuals they are.

When you join us for the Soul Lift Summit: Live Your Bliss by Tapping into the Natural Abundance of Love, Wealth, Health and Time, you learn:

The primary trait of successful people in all areas of life, and how to foster it to transform your mindset and your life .
The main difference between the scarcity mindset and the abundance mindset, and how to embrace the abundance mindset to achieve more than ever.
A powerful exploration process so you can gain clarity and insight into what you really want, so you can create a set plan with obtainable goals and objectives.
And more.

I’m eager to share my perspective on the abundant mindset with you, and I’m excited to hear from the 21+ experts who will share their insights, too!

Click the link below to register at no cost and I’ll see you there:

Cultivate An Abundant Mindset <<< Register Here http://soulift.rurl.me/Lynnea-Hagen

I’ve heard Estela speak before, and I highly recommend her. She knows how to give you powerful, actionable information you can use right away to begin changing your life.

To Your Success!
Lynnea
Lynnea Hagen, M.S., Business Growth Specialist, International Speaker, Best-selling Author

P.S. Yes! You can attend the Soul Lift Summit: Live Your Bliss by Tapping into the Natural Abundance of Love, Wealth, Health and Time event at no cost! Register today to secure your spot – and get ready to transform your mindset and your entire life. Sign up below:

Live Your Bliss <<< Join Us At No Cost Starting NOW, and get inspiration and guidance from 20 experts! http://soulift.rurl.me/Lynnea-Hagen

Be One With the (Big) Fish to Sustain Your Business

In an earlier post I wrote about catching big clients, or “fish”, that will sustain your business over the long run. Today I’m going to take that a step further by talking about how to understand and think like a “big fish” company, and how that can help you plan your approach and find success.

Before you can start the process of landing big clients, you have to make sure your entire team is onboard with your approach and vision. There are six keys to finding big client success. They are:

First Impression: You must remember you have one shot to land a big client. If you make a mistake, they aren’t going to consider you again. Never give them a reason to doubt your abilities.
First Priority: Your fish must always feel like they are your first priority. Returns calls and emails immediately and find solutions to their problems or questions as quickly as possible.
Flexible: You need to be flexible in your negotiations. If they need a special service or for you to customize a product, say yes for the benefit of the long term. A little hassle now could be a big pay-off later.
Long-term: This goes along with the last one a bit. As you are approaching and negotiating with big fish you need to think about the long term benefits for your business. If you go for a ones-time big score you will lose their interest.
Have Fun: Work should be fun, even when trying to land big clients. In fact, this should be the most fun. You are sharing your vision with new people and including them in your future success, and, likewise, you’re sharing in theirs. People simply work better in a fun, happy environment. Your passion will also be contagious, and attract the fish into your vision even more.
Help Them: If you take just a little bit of time and offer your clients ways to save money or time by introducing them to potential business partners, this will show you really are invested and interested in their business. Strive to find balance between your business needs and your client’s needs.

There are also a few tactics you can use to bring a big-company vision to the people on your team. You can:

Post these six keys for all to see.
Put together a performance-based incentive program.
Conduct frequent team meetings to stay on top of progress, keep team members engaged, and collect insights from team members.
Use a “right now” policy that dictates “big fish” calls be answered immediately.
Offer awards/recognition for big-company ideas and executions.
Put together a training and certification program based on the six keys above.

These 6 keys and tips will help you instill a big-company mindset throughout your organization, helping you be more prepared–and more likely to land your big fish. Once your team is thinking this way, you’ll be unstoppable.

If you need help putting together an incentive program or another way to push your team toward the big-company mindset, try our FREE test drive to work with one of our coaches or check out our resources and tools. www.abundancebizacademy.com and www.theabundancecompany.com

Tips and Steps for Effective Delegation, Without Abdication

Building Effective Delegation–without Abdication

Mastering effective delegation can help business owners/managers on many levels. It can help them gain confidence AND multiply good organizational results by a greater level. It can prevent job burnout, reduce stress levels, and promote healthy work/life balance. And, delegation is one of THE greatest tools to equip and mold others to grow as leaders, as well as do more for the team and organization. But often delegation is weak, or simply lacking from an organization.

(See my weekly “Success Quick Tip” video on this here)

Often there are stated reasons around not delegating: “I tried it once.” “It takes me longer to teach them than to do it myself.” “I know I’ll do it right.” The real reason, in most cases, is that the owners/managers simply don’t trust themselves. They don’t trust that they know how to delegate without losing control while doing it.

It helps to move someone through the delegation process if they understand that delegation does not mean abdication. Loss of control does not need to be part of the equation if delegation is done purposefully and properly. Proper delegating means empowering someone else, and, as result, growing the results of the organization (and, possibly, make yourself look better). The manager/owner must understand that he/she is ultimately in control, and that every employee needs to get better in order for the business to grow. Delegation involves leadership and growth for everyone. If an employee doesn’t expect to grow, that person is a drain in the organization. The owner/manager must see: “I add value, but my focus is to help the WHOLE organization grow in value, in order for it to move forward.” In other words, like a chain, the organization is only as strong as its weakest link.

Additionally, the owner needs to look inside him/herself and answer the questions: “Why am I trying to build this business for myself, as a person?” “What are MY needs as the owner/manager?” Partnering with employees is a great way for the owner to get his/her personal needs met…and delegation is a great way to partner with employees, and inspire them to be their best.

What is needed to start an effective delegation process? First, the person in charge needs to give the employee the whole process, i.e.: a “map”, showing processes, procedures, and guidelines in the area being discussed. If everyone is “too busy” to do this, there may be a need to look at how organizational planning is done. In this situation, as in business planning, this “mapping” time, is time well spent (1 minute of planning saves 9 minutes of chaos. True).

The owner/manager needs to partner with the employee to set the guidelines. If a milestone is missed, they need to work together for a recovery plan. The boss needs to ask the employee what she needs to make the delegated task work: what is needed externally (office space, software, etc.), and internally (to meet regularly with boss, other colleagues, etc.).

Four Levels of Effective Delegation

There are four levels of delegation, from novice to advanced, depending on the skill level of the employee. These are, in ascending order:

“You go do _____, get facts, make a suggestion, and I’ll decide.”
“You go do _____, get facts, make a decision, and wait until I say ‘Okay.’”
“You go do _____, get facts, make a decision, take action, and report regularly to me.”
“You go do _____, get facts, make a decision, take action, and only tell me when something goes wrong.”

To develop an effective delegation process, the owner/manager must appreciate some truths:

Proper delegation empowers employees
Proper delegation ensures that the proper result occurs—and in a timely way:
The majority of employees expect and require clarity of assignments.
The majority of employees expect and require mutual understanding.
There is a distinction between end results expected and how the task is accomplished (i.e.: let the ends justify the means—after all, someone else may find a better way to accomplish the task).
A series of checkpoints and controls must be built in when delegating a task.

3 mistakes to Avoid

There are 3 mistakes to avoid when introducing delegation into the owner/manager’s skill set:

Starting delegation when he/she is in a crisis (at this time, focus should be on recovery and planning)
Not establishing benchmarks and/or milestones with the employee.
Not specifying results for the owner/manager to live up to, as well as the employee… Good delegation means mutual accountability and support.

Get my book, Stuckness–140 Insights & Tips to Get Unstuck, Get Going and Get What You Want on Amazon

Here’s to your success! Lynnea

Connect with me on Linked In: Lynnea Quinn Hagen

Follow me on twitter: LynneaHagen

5 Simple Tips for NOT “Selling” While Creating More Sales, and Enjoying It More!

I have been a consultant for 30+ years (yes, I started when I was seven. I know, I’m surprised, too). One of the BEST tools I’ve ever used with my own business and my clients is the One Page Business Plan™. I’ve used it to help dozens of CEO’s, company presidents and business owners attract key personnel, manage employee performance, prepare the business for sale, grow results, and grow themselves as leaders.

The beauty of this tool is that it forces quality thinking. It’s simple, but not simplistic.

I took my training 13 years ago from the creator of the One Page Business Plan™, Jim Horan (who has since created the 90 Day Sales Plan™ and more wonderful tools). Jim has the gift of taking the complex and making it simple and powerful. Jim spent some time talking to the the Women In Consulting organization last week. He highlighted 5 things to do when trying to “sell” your services. I loved these, and wanted to share them here:

Pick up the damn phone. Call people you know and like every day (and no, that does not mean your Aunt Vi or son Joey. We’re talking about the professional arena here). For whatever reason, making phone calls is one of the hardest things for sales people to do. So start with people you know and like…and those who know and like you.
Sell what you LOVE, forget the rest. This was very helpful to me, since I love to learn and, ergo, have a LOT of knowledge, tools, programs and ways to help others achieve what they want. I’m also very enthusiastic..at first..then I feel compelled to continue trying to sell what really doesn’t fit ME. I’ve been trying to be all things to all people. I have released some things on my plate with this tip alone. Whew!
Focus on people’s needs…not what you’re wanting to sell to them, or what you think they should want. This kind of goes back to the adage, “people don’t care what you know until they know how much you care.” What do THEY need? Yes, you need to make a sale, but what do THEY need?
Keep your message simple and compelling. Forget the jargon. Use your prospect’s words…which also shows them that you’re listening and that you care. Speak your truth simply, with caring.
Make it easy to do business with you. STOP SELLING. Make it easy for them to BUY. Practice being prepared, practice listening and caring, and ask if they minded if you follow up with them –then do it!

I want to thank Jim Horan for the generosity of his creative mind, and the passion he brings to help others. I hope these tips help you be more successful in your endeavors, as well.

If you want any more info on the One Page Business Plan™, the 90 Day Sales Plan™, or my marketing and leads generation program, The Abundance Business Academy (abundancebizacacdemy.com), give me a shout at lynnea@abundancecoaching.net.

Here’s to your success!

Lynnea

Create Good “Shopping” Experiences All Year, Part 1

Create Good Shopping Experiences All Year

In past posts I mentioned secrets to building solid customer service plans and creating lasting relationships of “raving fans.” As I started thinking about it (fueled by the juices of this BIG holiday shopping season!), it occurred to me that what we need to create is a wonderful shopping and BUYING experience that lasts more than a month or two. We need to be acutely attuned to our clients’ needs, and consistently evolve ourselves to meet and serve those needs.

Today’s post is part of the list of “secrets” required in shepherding and growing your satisfied customers into raving fans.

You must know what your customers want (not what you THINK they want!). How do you achieve this? Well, you must know who your customers are, then you will know better how to serve them. Demographics are essential here. An upper-class woman in her 30’s is going to have completely different expectations than a working class man in his 50’s.

There are five main areas you need to consider and plan for in order to know what your customers want:

Listen to Your Customers
Ask Your Customers Sincerely
Offer More than Just a Product/Service
Know When to Ignore Them
Put on Your “Coaching Cap”

These are all important when deciding what your customers want out of their shopping experience.

Listen to Your Customers

You need to listen to both what they say and what they don’t say. Customers may say they want one thing and really mean something else. For example, if you customers are begging for lower prices, you may find out their real priority is quick delivery.

Also, listen to your “silent” customers. These are the customers don’t bother to complain because the service is so bad they’ve just given up and don’t feel like their voice matters. They feel unwanted and when a competitor shows up, they’ll be gone.

Listen to former customers. So many businesses only ask current customers what they like about doing business with them; yet most businesses NEVER bother to find out why people leave. This is golden information! Yes, it may be painful, but it’s great “fertilizer” for growth and change.

Lastly, listen to customers who only reply with “fine”. These customers are similar to the “silent” customers in that they are so used to bad customer service they only give a monotone response. They are probably the next group to leave. If “fine” is a good enough service rating for you, well…fine. But, truly, a business which provides products and services that are merely “fine” will not achieve loyal, raving fans.

Ask Your Customers Sincerely

If you aren’t sincere when you ask their opinion, they are going to see right through you. You may be thinking, “What about the customers who aren’t saying anything?” You need to ask them sincere questions that get them thinking about their experiences. Make them feel like you really care–and come from a place of really caring! After all, this is your business, your reputation

Offer More than Just a Product/Service

Your customers are looking for much more than a simple product or service, they are looking for an experience that makes them feel good. They gauge every step of the process with a value. When you take this into consideration and treat them like people, they will feel like they belong.

Know When to Ignore Them

You may think this goes beyond providing good customer service, but in reality you can’t give them everything and there are some people whom you will never make happy. You have to set limits and stick to those limits. If your vision and company don’t meet the needs of the customer, they will be best suited somewhere else. So, bless these folks on their way to somewhere else.

Be a “Coach”

If you’ve ever worked with a coach, you’ll know what this means. A coach’s job is to see and UNDERSTAND what is keeping their “coachee” from moving forward, then helping them move past those challenges. In all of the above scenarios, put on your “coach’s cap”, and get curious, ask questions, get clarity, make sure that what you heard is what they meant; then see how to help them move past what’s getting in their way of doing business with you. Not only is this a good way to learn more about your customers, it’s a fantastic way to help THEM feel heard and cared about by YOU. You may even win back some who have left.

These are some steps and tricks to figuring out what your customers want and how you can use them to work on your customer service vision and plan.

If you get stuck, try our FREE test drive and let us help you through the process…and help coach you past what is getting in your way of success! Visit us at: www.ecosystemofsuccess.com, theabundancecompany, abundancebizacademy.com

To Your Abundance!

Lynnea

Life Cycles and Life of Your Business

This week’s topic is life cycles of a business, and how to get the most out of each life cycle, while also extending the lifespan of your business. (And yes, isn’t a “baby” business exciting, cute and fun? The thing is, you will need to shift as the “baby” grows)

The four different stages of a business life cycle are:

Infancy
Adolescence
Growing Pains
Maturity

We’ll talk a little about what each of these cycles means and how they can each help expand or extend your business’ lifespan.

All of these stages bring in the 3 basic roles of the entrepreneurial environment/business/owner: the Entrepreneur, the Technician, and the Manager.

Infancy

This is generally considered the phase of the technician, which is one of the “hats” or roles being worn by the owner. At this point, the relationship between the business and the owner is that of a parent and new baby. There is an impenetrable bond that is necessary to determine the path your business will follow. The business and the owner are deeply and personally attached, part and parcel of each other.

The key is to know that you AND your business must grow in order to flourish, and that you cannot stay in this stage forever. The challenge is that many business owners continue to view the business as themselves, and do not prepare the business nor themselves to separate from that “baby-ship” bond. It’s also a reason why many owners are afraid to see their businesses “grow up”, and have other “relationships” so necessary for growth. These folks want to perform all roles for their baby. That’s not healthy for the baby, nor for the “parent”/owner.

Adolescence

In this stage you need to start bringing your support staff together. You need to delegate and allow growth to happen…and let your “baby” be handled by other people. The first line of defense is your technical person, as they need to bring a certain level of technical experience. However, this cycle really belongs to the manager. The planning stage needs to start and a relationship should be built with the entrepreneur to plan for the future.

Growing Pains

There’s a point in every business when business explodes and becomes chaotic. This is referred to as growing pains. It’s a good problem to have, but a problem nonetheless. You are often faced with 3 basic choices:

Avoid growth and stay small
Go broke
Push forward into the next cycle

Moving ahead requires collaboration and communication from and with all roles (Technician, Entrepreneur and Manager). All 3 must step up, communicate openly, and collaborate with the others. At this time, it’s important to be very clear on strategies and plans—even if the strategy is to stay as is. An honest assessment or SWOT analysis (Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) needs to be performed by each role for their areas of expertise, as well as for the company as a whole.

Maturity

The last cycle is maturity, though this doesn’t mean the end of your business. Your passion for growth must continue in order for your business to succeed. You need to keep an entrepreneurial perspective in order to push your business forward.

There are 3 areas that MUST be addressed, even if you want your company to remain as-is. To change NOTHING (or choose to always do and be what you’ve always done and been) doesn’t mean that you will stay status quo—it means that you will eventually slide backward and start to fail. Even mature companies must do these 3 things to stay alive and viable:

Continually master their craft by learning and changing
Build continued chemistry with clients, through understanding them and “walking in their shoes”
Deliver products and services that feed clients’ changing needs and desires…and this means listening to the clients.

Take nothing for granted. Learn, empathize and listen. Always. If you don’t, your business will slip into the fifth and final phase– and will pass away, die. If that’s what you want, then that’s something to be welcomed. If not, your business, and you as its leader, must be fed and nurtured. Always.

You see how all of these cycles are connected– and depend on a strong foundation for each one of them– in order for your business to be (and continue to be) successful. All three of your key roles must work together to work through these cycles.

If you’re having trouble putting together your business life cycles and figuring out which of the key roles you fit into (and how to let go of those you DON’T), try our FREE test drive. Contact me at lynnea@abundancecoaching.net, or 408-975-9930. Also, visit Abundance Business Academy.

Gather the Troops–What Roles Do you Need??

Today I’d like to chat about the different types of support staff you need and what makes them so important (these are adapted from the book, The E-Myth). It’s hard as a leader or business owner to let go and let others carry the load, so that you can focus on what you do best, or what only you can do. The cool thing is that, when you think about it, this is what you need in life, as well. When these are in place, the work is lighter for everyone, and each person is using their strengths (which makes for a more productive environment)

There are essentially three key roles that need to be filled to set your business up for success:

The Technician
The Manager
The Entrepreneur

All of these roles need to be played simultaneously by different people with the right talents. It’s all about balance.

The Technician

This person represents the present and all that needs to be done for the physical aspects of the business building process. They are the “doer”. This is usually the most visible person of the entire operation.

The Manager

This person represents the past and works to fix problems through learning from past mistakes. They are the practical side of the business and is in charge of putting together the business and overseeing the planning.

The Entrepreneur

This person represents the future and the vision for the business. They are responsible for the creative side of the business and are always considering ways to enhance products/service, business image, branding and more.

All three of these characters are essential in the success of any business and to build a solid foundation from the start, you need to work harder to find the right people to put in these roles. Obviously, you need to be one of these key people, but ensure you find the role that fits your skills and talents, not necessarily what you THINK you should be doing.

This may be a hard process for you as you will need to relinquish some control over the business and instill trust in people to allow them to do their jobs.

Remember, I can help you through this entire process and teach you how to avoid falling victim to e-myths when you try our FREE test drive. www.abundancebizacademy.com

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