If you started your career in corporate America, you know getting promoted
isn't all it's cracked up to be. A move up is often nothing more than your old
job on steroids. Rather than starting something fresh and exciting, the
promotion consists of new responsibilities piled on top of your old ones.
The result: You feel overloaded, overstressed and over it. So you shunned the
corporate grind for the perceived bliss of entrepreneurship. As one client told
me, "I simply couldn't survive another promotion."
Ironically, in search of a break, you may discover your new boss--the tyrant
in the mirror--is the toughest yet. And the workload? By comparison, the
corporate world was a lunch-time walk on the treadmill.
Overworking yourself to a frazzle doesn't end just because you're at the
helm. More often, it intensifies. The to-do list gets miles longer. The
responsibilities cascade. You wear so many hats, your hat rack needs a
maintenance crew.
Even after hiring qualified, well-paid support, you may think the only way
you can secure results is through the sheer volume of your work load. The more
heavy lifting you do, the more you feel you can control a successful outcome.
Male business owners generally don't subject themselves to the same level of
doubt and rigor. They freely delegate or offload responsibilities whenever
possible--very often to an alpha woman.
The point is, you can learn a little something from your freely delegating
counterparts: The art of advancing in business doesn't mean doing more; it means
being more effective at what you choose to do and what you do best. Here are
five simple steps to help you cut back on the blood, sweat and tears--and renew
the passion and purpose that drove you to start your business.
1. Value your brains over your brawn. Before carrying out your next
task, ask yourself: Am I really the only one capable of doing this? Is this the
best use of my time? Am I doing this out of necessity or habit? Does this
activity require real judgment and leadership? If you answer no to at least two
of those questions, brawn, not brains, may be running your enterprise.
Reallocate how and where you invest your time.
2. Stop authoring and start editing. Whether writing a proposal,
authoring a manual or designing a product, creating anything from scratch is
time consuming. Assign yourself the role of editor, or whatever's comparable in
your field, and let someone else give your vision form and substance.
3. Ask more questions, provide fewer answers. Next time you're asked
to solve a problem, don't. Ask your employee, "If I weren't here, how would you
handle this in a way that would better serve our company?" You're sure to switch
on their critical-thinking skills, and perhaps uncover some untapped talent
within your staff. Delegate tasks, but also teach others to think. It's an
investment in your people with unlimited upside potential.
4. Replace perfection with effectiveness. Many women believe achieving
perfection is what it takes to succeed. But being effective is the only measure
that really counts. Knowing when just enough is good enough can mean the
difference between a healthy bottom line and barely breaking even. Remember, as
the visionary for your company, you'll be most effective at acting on your
vision and pursuing growth opportunities, rather than getting mired in detailed
perfection.
5. End your "voluntyranny." Volunteering may be rewarding, but beware
the trap of overcommitting your time. It can doom your success. Be selective
about the community organizations you're most passionate about. And volunteer
your talent over time. Licking envelopes might be needed, but when your real
ability lies in marketing, fundraising or finance, you should also make the best
use of your talents. Ultimately, your experience will be much more gratifying
and the organization much better served.
So stop accepting sweat as the measurement of your success. When you lead
with your wisdom, instincts and passion, it won't feel like work. Instead,
you'll find yourself exhilarated by the fresh, exciting challenges you're taking
on every day.