Have you ever worked with a micromanager? You know, the type of boss who wants to review every little detail of your work before it sees the light of day? It can be frustrating, right?
Well, imagine being that micromanager yourself – without even realizing it. That's exactly what happened to me, and it almost cost me my position in my own business.
Flashback to My Corporate Days…
Let me take you back to a time when I was part of a corporate team. We had this supervisor who meant well, but she wanted to oversee every aspect of our work. Whenever she went on vacation, though, things seemed to run smoother and faster. It got me thinking – was she actually slowing us down?
When I Started 8point8…
Fast forward to when I started my own business, 8point8, a virtual assistant team. Initially, I was heavily involved in every aspect, including marketing. However, as the workload increased, I began to delegate tasks to my team. But here's where the problem arose – I started micromanaging without even realizing it.
I wanted everything to be perfect, so I insisted that my team run everything by me before it went live. However, my review process took so long that it delayed our output significantly. It wasn't until one of my team members hinted that I should focus more on client calls that I realized they were frustrated with me – they wanted to fire me!
I had to face a tough question: Did I want things done my way, or did I want things to actually get done? It was a wake-up call. I realized that my team was capable of making decisions and producing quality work without my constant supervision.
So, we implemented a simple yet effective system. Whenever content needed approval, the team would set a deadline for my feedback. If I didn't respond by then, they would proceed with the scheduled publication. This made me more accountable and relieved the team from unnecessary delays.
It wasn't an easy transition, but it was necessary for the success of our business. And you know what? It worked! Our publishing schedule became more consistent, and the team felt empowered to make decisions without me hovering over them.
The Lesson I Learned…
Looking back, I learned a valuable lesson – sometimes, you can be the bottleneck in your own business. Micromanaging not only slows you down but also erodes your team's trust. Instead, focus on building a team that you can trust and empower them to make decisions on your behalf.
It's been a year since my team almost fired me, but now, they rely on me less because they've become more confident and capable. And you know what else? I have more time to focus on growing the business and even take vacations without worrying about work.
So, if you're feeling overwhelmed and overworked in your business, consider delegating tasks to a trusted team. It may just be the key to unlocking your business's full potential.
Don't forget to download our FREE guide on task delegation at www.8point8.net/nextstep. It could be YOUR FIRST STEP towards a more efficient and successful business!
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