|
|
|
Common Sense Customer Service!
The key to growth in any business; whether it be the largest corporation on the planet or someone working a home business from their laptop on the dining room table; is exceptional Customer Service. Customer Service can’t just be ”good” or ”OK”; it...
Discover the Secret to Success in Your Own Back Yard
Yesterday, I went above and beyond the call of duty for community service. Thanks to me, not one black fly within a five-mile radius of my home went to bed hungry last night, and because of my loyal patronage and recurring need for calamine...
Do You Want to Make More Money as a Life Coach
There’s a lot of coaches out there not making any money, looking for opportunities, trying to model what others are doing, networking like crazy, researching, visualizing, affirming and hoping… yes, hoping that the clients show up before the...
Executive Coaching
The higher you climb the ladder in this organization, the less chance you have of getting feedback about your performance. The working rule of thumb is “the farther up you go, the stranger things get,” especially in the way you are reviewed and...
The Top Mistakes Executives Make in Leading Their Organizations
THE TOP MISTAKES TODAY’S EXECUTIVES MAKE IN LEADING THEIR ORGANIZATIONS Four Tips on Common Leadership Pitfalls to Avoid In today’s uncertain economy, many organizations have been making some drastic changes to stay competitive and productive....
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Delegate or Die
You Can't Do It All - Learning To Delegate
There is not a single management skill more critical to your personal and professional success as an entrepreneur than learning to delegate. But delegating successfully is much more than simply handing out assignments. It is more an exercise in understanding and accepting our own strengths and limitations.
In this fast paced world, we must choose what activities it makes sense for us to do ourselves, and what it makes sense to let go of. None of us can be an expert in everything - not because of any lack of intellectual ability, but more because we lack specific exposure or experience. We must learn to accept this fact and be OK with it.
How do you fill the gaps in your expertise?
Let's consider a real life example. My own areas of expertise lie in business and operational management, understanding people and coaching. This is my business. When I wanted to create a single web-page to market a workshop I was developing I had to make a decision. I have (very) rudimentary skills in web page creation. While all of the software I need is at my fingertips, the question is "Do I really have time to learn it?"
I ask myself: "Should I spend several hours - probably a whole day if I'm being honest - learning to grasp the software and design my own web-page" Or should I spend some money and hire somebody who already knows the software?" Then all I need to do is supply the content.
I am tempted to go it alone - after all, I love technology and knowing how to use it (that's my ego talking!). But at the end of the day, my time is better spent working on other aspects of the business. So I outsourced the job.
In making your own decisions, the key is in determining what you need to know, want to know, must know, and already know. And how your time would best be spent.
Find Experts and Build Partnerships
Jack of all trades, master of none. The old adage holds a lot of weight in today's entrepreneurial environment. No one can possibly run a small business alone.
Anyone who has their own business will know that they could never have gotten it off the ground without the help of at least an accountant and a lawyer. Perhaps you also needed a graphic designer or administrative assistance.
It is important to surround yourself with competent experts who have complimentary areas of expertise. Choose carefully and wisely and be ready to compensate these individuals for a job well done. These people are your business partners - people who will give you the advice and information you need to make decisions. When you build excellent relationships with your partners, you may be able to arrange better terms. Payment need not always come in the form of
dollars. With strong partner relationships you may be able to trade your expertise for theirs.
The Power of Delegating
It is quite liberating once you really do let go and put your trust in other people. So don't ruin it by being a control freak! Remember - before delegating the job, you decided that this was not your area of expertise. You know what I mean - the feeling that nobody else could do it as well as you - even though you don't know how to. If you know that you have controlling tendencies , you must learn to be a good client and give your partner all the information they need to do the job in line with your expectations.
For example, your accountant needs certain facts to achieve the task of budgeting and forecasting cash flow for your business. You need to supply him/her with the necessary information to get the job done. You must understand the process and know what you need the outcome to be. You must also communicate these objectives clearly and monitor their progress (but not so often that they wish they never met you). Set meeting times for updates and a time line for completion.
The key is to identify good people, enlist them in your cause or business, give them the ball, and then allow them to run with it.
Do not over-delegate.
Excessive delegating can lead to disaster. A complete hands-off approach is abdicating your business responsibility. Let's take the example of your relationship with your accountant. Not being a CPA is no excuse for not understanding the budget of your company. You must understand how the budget works and be accountable for it. You must also be able to communicate this information to the relevant people in your business.
Most important, you must understand how the critical pieces of your business fit together to form the whole so you can make sound and effective business decisions. Should you not understand these processes, you run the risk of losing control.
One last note:
It is nice to want to do all the work yourself. For one thing, on the surface, it appears that it will save you money. However, time is also money and your time has a value. In today's world, being a "Jack of all Trades" is more likely to mean that you do a lot of things averagely.
If you understand your individual strengths and establish strong trusting partnerships to complement these, then your business has experts working for it in all areas. And that knowledge is comforting.
About the Author
Megan Tough, director of Action Plus, works with small business professionals who are ready to do more than ‘just get by’. Increase your income - decrease your stress! To learn more and to sign up for more FREE tips and articles like these, visit www.megantough.com
|
|
|
|
|
| Coaching.com – business & executive coaching for leadership ... |
| Business coaching solutions with executive coaching, personal coaching, professional coaching and corporate coaching to enhance leadership skills ... |
| www.coaching.com |
|
| Welcome to Coach U |
| Training world class personal and life coaches. Offering synchronous and asynchronous training. |
| www.coachinc.com |
|
| International Coach Federation |
| The International Coach Federation is the globally recognized association of professional personal and business coaches. ICF offers the only independent ... |
| www.coachfederation.org |
|
| Coaching - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia |
| This article refers to the act of coaching people. For sports coaching, see coach ... Current practices in performance coaching in non-sporting environments ... |
| en.wikipedia.org |
|
| Sports Coach provides information on coaching, exercise physiology ... |
| Brian Mackenzie, the UK's highly experienced senior athletics coach provides fitness and training advice for athletes. |
| www.brianmac.demon.co.uk |
|
| The role of the coach is one which enables the athlete to achieve ... |
| Roles and responsibilities of a Coach. ... In a coaching role you will initially need to develop the skills of: providing instruction and explanation, ... |
| www.brianmac.demon.co.uk |
|
| The Coaching & Mentoring Network |
| The leading, independent vortal site, keeping you informed of the latest developments in coaching and mentoring. Connecting you to the people, products and ... |
| www.coachingnetwork.org.uk |
|
| Welcome to sports coach UK |
| sports coach UK is a charitable organisation dedicated to the development and implementation of coaches and coaching throughout the UK. ... |
| www.sportscoachuk.org |
|
| Positive Coaching Alliance |
| Information on awards, location, partnership programs, description of the organization, upcoming events, news items and membership details. |
| www.positivecoach.org |
|
| Career Coaching from Mind Tools - Find Focus, Fulfillment and ... |
| Career coaching from Mind Tools - Maximize success in your chosen career: Find focus, self-confidence, fulfillment and career direction with a Mind Tools ... |
| coaching.mindtools.com |
|
| Coaching Drills, Information and Products For Youth Sports |
| Youth coaching drills for baseball, basketball, football, soccer, softball, volleyball, and track and field. Also makes team decals, posts team photos, ... |
| www.y-coach.com |
|
| Mind Tools - Self-Study Management Training, Career Training ... |
| You can join biweekly coaching and training sessions wherever you are in the world. ... The GROW Model - Coaching team members to improve performance. ... |
| www.mindtools.com |
|
| COACHING SCIENCE ABSTRACTS |
| The best award-winning site about sports science that can be applied to the coaching of serious and elite athletes. |
| coachsci.sdsu.edu |
|
| Coaching UK : Coaching UK and Coaching Related Links |
| Coaching UK : Coaching UK and Coaching Related Links. |
| www.coaching-uk.org.uk |
|
| Association for Coaching |
| Welcome to the Association for Coaching — one of the lead professional bodies for Coaches and Organisations involved in the areas of: ... |
| www.associationforcoaching.com |
|
| The Coaching Corner - The Youth Team Sports Resource |
| The Coaching Corner, the youth team sports resource for coaches, players & parents. We provide instruction, editorials, coaching tips, bulletin boards and ... |
| www.thecoachingcorner.com |
|
| Executive and business coaching network - UK based international ... |
| executive and business coaching - UK based network of international coaches specialising in executive and business coaching, team building and unlocking ... |
| www.execcoach.net |
|
| SOCCER-COACH-L Soccer Coaching Manual |
| A manual for the novice and more advanced youth soccer coach. |
| www.ucs.mun.ca |
|
| My Life Coach - Life Coaching, Become a Life Coach, Career Coaches ... |
| We have the life coaching, personality and career testing tools, knowledge and expertise to help you discover the right direction. |
| www.mylifecoach.com |
|
| Basketball Coaching Playbook, Coach's Clipboard... Coaching Youth ... |
| Coach James Gels offers player development tips and coaching strategies on offense and defense. |
| www.coachesclipboard.net |
|
|