Are You Destined to Have a Dysfunctional Team?
So you realize you need a team to help you get to the next level. Congratulations, you’ve admitted you have a problem and won half the battle. So now what?
If you’ve ever watched an episode the TV show “The Office,” you’ve undoubtedly laughed at the antics of their supremely dysfunctional team. They cover all the office worker archetypes, the office hierarchy, and politics, and they provide a surprisingly clear depiction of the office manager who is only marginally in control but is somehow able to pull it all together at the last minute to ensure the business squeaks by turning a small profit. So much of the work they do is unproductive and satirically reflects the office that we’ve known and worked in for so many generations. We laugh at all the right times and shake our heads at the irony, but we’re also secretly embarrassed at how closely they mimic our own teams.
From Entrepreneur to Middle Manager
If you find that you’ve been spending more and more of your time managing instead of leading, or worse, doing everything yourself, then you may be as dysfunctional as the cast members on that TV show. Can you really afford to employ someone who is only somewhat productive, and can only complete a portion of the work required to sustain your businesses, while also providing them with equipment and benefits? If you’re doing it all yourself- can you afford to let your business and personal life languish while you go from entrepreneur to middle manager in your own company?
Approaching the team from a different angle
In the world of solopreneurs, entrepreneurs, startups, digital nomads, consultants, and freelancers, today’s successful business needs to approach their team composition from a different angle. Most business owners and entrepreneurs know they need help; they know the admin and operations need to be managed, and strategies need to be implemented to sustain the business and ensure its growth, but how do you address these needs in a thoughtful, strategic way? And how do you address them while you’re running lean, trying to maintain control of your business and staying true to your vision?
The Solution…
The solution is as simple as your team structure. Sure, there are tasks and roles that NEED to stay in-house and NEED to be managed by a traditional employee, but there are also a large number of tasks that don’t. Have you considered outsourcing to build your team in a strategic way? A good outsourced virtual assistant can take on these tasks without the obligation of paying for watercooler time. Better yet, many great assistants are also business managers that can help support the operations and strategy to sustain your business and help you reach your goals. With this team model, you spend a fraction of the time managing since it’s in the virtual employee’s best interest to perform (they are contractors after all). You also don’t have to allocate resources to pay for the overhead associated with a traditional employee, and you get to maintain complete control of your business and direction.
When it comes to a comparison between in-house employees and a virtual team, there really is no comparison. Just consider the monthly expenses, taxes, physical resources, insurance and other costs that you are required to provide for a single traditional employee. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average employee costs an additional 30% on top of wages. If that’s not enough to convince you, consider what your own time worth? Time is the world’s most valuable, nonrenewable resource; once you remove the day-to-day admin, operational tasks, and the managerial duties from your workload, how much more time do you have? What could your business look like if you used that time to focus on your core strengths? I’m willing to bet that an hour of your time has a pretty hefty premium when you consider these factors.
Outsourcing roles within your business can be an incredibly powerful and cost-effective way to build your team. So what is stopping you from outsourcing to a virtual workforce?
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You’re Fearless When You Know What to Expect
Has fear ever held you back from doing something that you REALLY, REALLY want to do?
Maybe from showing up Live on Social, joining a club or putting out a new offer?
There was a time when I almost let fear stop me from doing something I was dying to do – travel abroad solo – and the same tactics that let me travel solo fearlessly, also helped me grow my business.
I was Ready but Too Late
Do you know what a hairstylist, a facialist, and a tattoo artist all have in common with your business?
This isn’t a riddle or brain teaser, it’s a fact that I discovered whenever I was looking for someone to support me or my business: By the time that I was “ready” to book an appointment or work with them, it was too late.
Let me explain… and I’m sure you might see some similarities in your day to day.
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