I see a common pain that startups and small business owners face. There is a lot of work that got done by them or a small, trusted team.
There’s a comfort zone working small. The trade-off is that there is not much freedom. They are working all the time holding the ship together.
It’s painful to have to train someone else or trust them with all the nuances. They might mess up with customers. They might cause a lot of pain just managing them. So, it’s easier to continue doing things personally rather than grow with a team.
It’s a common occurrence, because the conundrum is a difficult one to act on. Growth cannot happen without adding more help. It’s sad. It’s limiting what is possible and it eats a person alive – their health, productivity and future.
It’s a problem that takes steps to address. The first part is to acknowledge the problem. There has to be a decision and commitment to growth. This will mean letting go of one vine and grabbing another.
So how can someone cross this chasm? Knowing it’s a problem is a good first step. The second is to learn how to get out of the way and lead by hiring talent that is better and more efficient. This can be a threat to ego or habit.
I think the decision is an art form based on the personality of the business owner or entrepreneur. The timing of when to add talent and managing the quality while growing is tricky. If there are no systems in place then the real issues of management are immediately exposed.
Perhaps, you are seeing this challenge in your own business. How are you handling the decision to scale up with more people? What is the pain you feel or see?
