Lighten Your Workload

The exceptional few build an accounting firm from an innovative idea. Are you one of them? Like many accounting professionals, you’re fiercely independent. That’s a necessary quality when first starting out. Holding tightly onto the reins for too long, however, creates limitations. Unfortunately, those same strengths that started your business will eventually interfere with ongoing growth. The solution is to lighten your workload.

As your business grows, you continue holding on to tasks which eat up your time and energy. You firmly believe no one can perform those tasks as well as you. Well, doing everything yourself limits growth.

Challenge of Letting Go

Your ideal vision, solid determination and take charge attitude make letting go difficult. You put countless hours into your business. So you’re protective. With good reason, you’re unwavering about quality of service.

Plus, you like being in charge. So delegating feels uncomfortable. You question whether anyone else can truly perform to your expectations.

Your desire to do it all yourself masks some hidden concerns.

• The thought of someone else delivering sub-standard work terrifies you.
• You believe no one can do things as well as you do.
• Training someone else takes time. Although you know what to do, you’re not the best at explaining the steps. All you can think about is how training would pull you away from your work.
• Even if you decide to delegate, where do you find the right person?

Doing everything on your own is self-defeating. As a result, this isn’t a sustainable, long term plan. You’re already maxed out with more than you can handle. Therefore, as your accounting practice grows, the tasks multiply. What was doable before now causes overwhelm.

Doing everything on your own is self-defeating. As a result, this isn’t a sustainable, long term plan for #bookkeepers and #accountants. Read the full post. #getpaidwhatyoureworth Click To Tweet

Overwhelm leads to negative thinking. Don’t drown in overwhelm. Instead, remain open-minded. Consider how delegating frees you from the mundane tasks. When you pass forward work that doesn’t engage you, your enthusiasm reignites.

How to Start Delegating Work

Delegating work to lighten your load takes some thinking. You’ll want to be strategic about what to delegate.

Identify the Outcome

Start by identifying the outcome. It’s the Stephen Covey thinking to begin with the end in mind. Take time to envision what it would be like to free up your time. Imagine the possibility first.

List the tasks which could be delegated.

Here are some of the things which my clients delegate:

• Emails and phone calls.
• Low level bookkeeping
• Cleanups
• Tax preparation
• Payroll

As you make the list, imagine the relief you’ll experience when that specific task is no longer a part of your daily routine. As a result, what becomes possible?

Define the Steps to Achieve the Outcome

Once you create your list, identify the steps to find the right person for the job. What would the training process look like? Be as specific as possible.

Instead of wishing someone else could do the bookkeeping, list the exact tasks you want done. Decide whether you want to hire someone locally that works in your office or outsourced, how often you want to communicate with them, etc. The more specific you are now, the easier it is to define the work and grow your team.

Ride the Learning Curve

Begin seeking the right person. Let others know about this available position. Word of mouth, advertising and using an agency are all viable options.

The process of hiring someone can feel intimidating. But as you build your team with the right people, you’ll gain free time to do more of the things you enjoy most.

Collaboration is Key

Take time to listen. You’ve been doing things a certain way for awhile now. Someone with expertise and skill, however, will provide new insights. Take advantage of their skill set and knowledge. Let them solve challenging problems which are within their area of expertise. This has you team up to achieve a specific desired outcome.

Define the Milestones

Define milestones for your new team member. Share your expectations. Then prioritize tasks and milestones. Don’t just hand it off. Remember to schedule supervision for discussion about challenges and milestone updates.

Delegating work to lighten your load takes some thinking. Begin with the end in mind. Then envision what it would be like to free up your time. Read full post. #getpaidwhatyoureworth Click To Tweet

Create a Timeframe

Don’t hesitate to create deadlines. Your team members need to know your timeline. This improves collaboration and project management.

Create a Check in Process

After you define a timeframe for your milestones, decide on a check in process. What’s the best way for the two of you to communicate? Do you prefer telephone, email, video conferencing, in-person meetings, or sharing a client management system? Set your schedule to send a reminder prior to the meeting.  By the way, I share talking points before the meeting to optimize our time.

The Benefit of Delegation

As you fine-tune your delegation skills, you’ll lighten your workload, reduce your overwhelm, and calendar time to work on your growth strategy.

Instead of managing your team, lead your team. Encourage your team members to problem solve challenges. This creates a team that works together toward a unified vision.

As a coach, I’ve seen firsthand what happens when my clients begin delegating. You switch your mindset from giving up control to improving outcomes. Yes, asking for help can be difficult. Once you lighten your workload, you reduce overwhelm and feel re-energized.

Are you ready to lighten your workload? Follow these recommendations for your business to be successful, and grow while keeping your passion alive. Discover how to increase your income while working less. Right NOW claim your FREE RESOURCE to separate your fees from time.