Are we truly Managing Directors of our company or are we Exhausted Practitioners?

Over my years in business, I have had seasons that were so busy that I began to employ people, only to find myself busier than I was before I employed staff, seeing no relief from working with a team. 

Why does this happen? 

This all dramatically changed when I changed from being client-focused first to being “staff-focused first”. Changing the paradigm of my primary focus on clients and shifting it to my staff helped my staff become client-focused. This was one of, if not the most important, shifts I have ever made in business.

Many owners view their staff as interruptions, distractions, annoying and frustrating. They are trying to maintain the same client level of connection they had before they employed staff to share the responsibility and this is often because they are not ready to let go and train the staff in this area so they can move on to the new opportunities becoming them. We cannot expect to employ someone and not thoroughly train them for their role, responsibilities and what we expect from them. So they can take our place in front of clients and we can take our place supporting them. 

In my new version of the 5 Keys to Successful Business Planning, I have a section on developing leaders and growing your team. Here we have created an Employee Management Plan.  

Employee Management Plan

When you are ready to employ or promote someone for your team, think through the plan below. Every business owner and employee needs a management plan for progress. [Percentages are unique to each role and each employee.] Think through the chart here when you are considering any new employee or promoting an existing employee to new roles and levels of responsibility.

As the owner of your business, you are not meant to be all things to all people, but in your support wall, you should have all these roles filled ready for when you will need them, not if you will need them. You will need them! You can’t be everything to everybody but you can be something to somebody!

Considering your employees ask, “How much will I need to be?”

• Managing - Will this candidate/employee require a lot of management? What will be the management plan I will need to implement around this employee? What will they need if I promote them to a new level of responsibility?
• Mentoring - What is their current skill level, and will they need a mentor immediately for a basic startup in this new role? Will they need mentoring for ongoing development and leadership potential? 
• Training - What additional training will be required to get them started, grow, develop, become a leader, manager, key person or just simply development in their competence?
• Coaching - Will coaching in this role be required in-house or externally? Setting and achieving their personal and professional goals which they desire to see come to fruition can help with greater performance in the workplace. Coaching helps a person move from where they are now to where they want to be. 
• Counselling - Are there any issues with this employee or in their role that will require counselling? Are there any gaps, barriers or drains which will prevent them from reaching or achieving their full potential?
• Matching - How well do they match the role we are offering? Are they a round peg in a round hole or will some reshaping be required? What adjustments need to be made in character, behaviour, motivation, and emotional intelligence? What psychometric evaluation has been completed to be sure the employee matches the responsibility, skills and expectations of this role?
• KPI and KRA - How will I set Key Performance Indicators uniquely for this employee? What will be the Key Responsibility Areas I want them to be ready for so I can introduce or release them into? What do I need to prepare them for? What do they need to do for themselves? What are the long-term plans for this person and this role? 
• Magician - Yes you are right! It’s not part of the plan as employees never develop, change or grow by saying, “Abracadabra”. It is hard to be patient and value the effort of developing your team but so worth it! Someone once asked me “What if I do all this development with them and then they leave?”. I asked them, “What if you don’t and they stay?”. Developing staff is not easy, it is essential!

Do you have intentional and individual plans for your staff this Financial Year?

What is going to give you the greatest return on investment with your staff? 

Who in your team needs to shadow you ready to relieve you of some responsibilities? 

To “Planalife you want to live in through a Business on Purpose”, you must be intentionally and proactively developing your team. 

Have a great week and if I can help you in any way please call me and we can help you get back on track. 

Regards and have a great week… Ian