Get your clients to let go of the tools

Here is a problem your clients will raise regularly.  They know they need to make the changes you are suggesting - but they can't find the time.

They might say they have made little progress on systemising their business because they have spent so much time working on projects/jobs/sales/etc (even though they employ people to do these things).

When you challenge them on this you'll get some or all of a) their employees made mistakes, b) your client does a better job than the employees and c) they enjoy doing this technical work.

Probably there will be a complaint about the hours they are woring mixed in there as well.. They might talk about sub-contracting and the benefits of using third-parties who work to a fixed-price and "don't need motivating".

They may end up saying something lame about wanting to make their business systemised and scalable but needing to "get over this busy period and then I can set some time aside for this."

At some point during this conversation you need to start explaining (again) that a systemised, scalable business is a state of mind. It isn't something that is bolted-on, or a one-off project. Owners of scalable, systemised businesses understand that systemisationn never ends but is moved forward every day in dozens of little improvements. They see themselves as someone who spends their time designing, building and improving a business, not doing technical stuff, or even sales stuff.

Above all, they understand that it is their role to develop others. The understand that the only way to grow a business sustainably is by growing the employees.

Every country needs highly-skilled and independent professionals who enjoy and take pride in technical work - and make a good living doing this. However, sometimes these people are so successful they find themselves employing others and running a business. The resulting mismatch between their role ansd what they enjoy leads to frustration, unhappiness and sixty-hour weeks - unless they can change their mindset and let go of the tools.

www.businesscoachkit.com

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  1. Lara Schmoisman26 July 2021 at 05:09

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