Agency in Your Inbox
Systems
Katya Sarmiento
Katya Sarmiento is a wunderkind, the youngest entrepreneur in our midst, whose speciality is systems and creating methods to help entrepreneurs be more and more productive.
Three Best Practices...
Hire Slow,
Fire Fast
Hire slow, fire fast. I see so many business owners struggle with hiring and managing their team. It's pretty simple. Be excruciatingly picky, specific, and thorough during your interview process. Hire the best of the best. Hire only those that meet your criteria. Seriously, this isn't being an asshole, this is being a CEO. And if you hire someone that doesn't work out, let them go - FAST. I've seen businesses tank because the business owner tried really hard to make it work when it just wasn't. This could be a culture fit problem, a skill problem, or more. You know when it's a bad fit, so stop kidding yourself and move on.
You are the Leader
If you think your team sucks, that's a direct reflection of your business leadership. As the CEO, it is not your job to micromanage or to do everything on your own. It is your responsibility to have a clear vision, communicate that vision to your team, and delegate efficiently and clearly. What I mean is: if your team is struggling, it's probably because 1) there aren't clear systems, 2) you're not empowering them, or 3) you're micromanaging everything. The fix? 1) Set up systems that support your team and get you OUT of the inner workings of your business, fast. 2) Empower your team in their roles. Give them clear responsibilities. Let them make big decisions without you. 3) Trust your team. Train them, correct mistakes, give feedback. Then let go. If you did the first part, then your team is full of A-players and you can trust them to push your vision and business forward, with or without you. It's up to you to let go.
You are the Leader
If you think your team sucks, that's a direct reflection of your business leadership. As the CEO, it is not your job to micromanage or to do everything on your own. It is your responsibility to have a clear vision, communicate that vision to your team, and delegate efficiently and clearly. What I mean is: if your team is struggling, it's probably because 1) there aren't clear systems, 2) you're not empowering them, or 3) you're micromanaging everything. The fix? 1) Set up systems that support your team and get you OUT of the inner workings of your business, fast. 2) Empower your team in their roles. Give them clear responsibilities. Let them make big decisions without you. 3) Trust your team. Train them, correct mistakes, give feedback. Then let go. If you did the first part, then your team is full of A-players and you can trust them to push your vision and business forward, with or without you. It's up to you to let go.
Evaluate the Systems
If a system is slowing you down, it's not truly a system. I've seen so many businesses set up systems, tools, etc that actually slow the business and team down. What!? Makes no sense, but it happens all the time. To be honest, I use setting up systems as a method of procrastination because I love it way more than anything else (but don't tell anyone that ;P ). If someone recommended a tool for your business, and you've set it up and it doesn't seem to be working out - it's probably the wrong tool for what you're trying to accomplish. If you've set up a system (which by the way, yes, it does take time to set up systems) but you find yourself not using it, or needing to change it way too often, or getting too many questions from your team about the process... Then it's not a good system or process in the first place. This is tough to give just one fix for because I see so many cases of this in all types of businesses... (this is where I tell you to hire me to solve all your systems problems; jk... but seriously). The best bet is to look at what's not working and ask yourself "why is it not working" and the same for what IS working, ask yourself "how can I do more of that?" The best systems are simple, clear, and create leverage in the long run.
To Do: Rescue Your Time
Go to RescueTime.com and create a free account. Download the app on your computer, laptop, everywhere you work. And that's it! Do business as normal. Simple, right? Every week, RescueTime will send you a report of all the apps and websites you've been on. Take a look at that report and see where you spend your time. Did you spend way too much time on Facebook? Time to download the news feed eradicator app. Did you feel like you wasted way too much time answering a bunch of emails and Slack messages? Time to move your business emails to a HelpDesk so someone else can answer them, and move from Slack to Twist App to reduce the amount of pings and distractions you get throughout the day. If you're saying you don't have time to do something, check RescueTime to see if that's true. The best way to set up systems is to look at what's already working and NOT working for you, and then make a change with the data you've got. This is the FIRST exercise I do with my clients to determine what systems and tools they need in their business.
Do
Scale before your ready. It might seem like you don't have time or you may feel like you don't have the resources yet to scale... But trust me, waiting way too long to scale will lead to burn out and overwhelm.
Step up as a CEO. It's time to be a leader. Not just for your audience, but for your business and team. Only take on tasks that are in your zone of genius and delegate the rest. Hire people better than you. Set up systems that allow you to scale.
Don't
Let your clients down just for extra sales & growth. I see a lot of entrepreneurs overbooking themselves (a by-product of not scaling) and lowering their quality of service for all their clients. This is a big no-no and totally avoidable with the right systems.
Hustle and grind. This is so popular, and it makes sense for newbies that aren't doing much to grow their business. You're not a newbie. You've already grown your business to a significant place. Now it's time to be smarter than hustle.
More from Katya...
Need help getting clear on what systems you need in your business to successfully scale to 7-figures?
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