One reason a lot of startup founders and entrepreneurs get burnt out is the tendency to take on too many responsibilities. It is natural that at the start of the business, it almost seems like you are one with the business. So a poorly done job becomes a dent in your name, whether you did it yourself or it was done by an employee.
The result of this is that with time, even as business gradually expands, you find yourself having more on your hands than you should. I know a CEO (in the writing and publishing space) who told me that he often feels like he is doing more than 80 percent of the job, and just paying staff who do nothing but shoddy jobs, thus creating even more jobs for him.
In his words, “I can’t even decide if I have created more work for myself by employing so many people. It actually takes me more time editing what they have written, than it would have taken me to do it by myself”.
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This is often the case for many entrepreneurs in the creative space. The result is that you begin to overheat and suffer a high level of stress trying to do everything on your own. The next thing is burnout.
But even then, Don’t be afraid to delegate!
First, if you are taking the conventional method of employing people as you get on more clients and expand your business, then avoid taking on too many staffs at once. Take a couple of staff in and try to get them to the point of delivering a good quality of work before you take on others. Don’t be in a rush to do the job yourself. One bite at a time, you will build a team that understands that shoddy jobs are not acceptable.
Even if your startup has not gotten to the stage of taking on full-time employees, you can outsource some of these things to other professional firms or freelancers who will give you the desired quality. You may also consider having part-time employees whom you will bring in full when they have shown that they can deliver you the quality you want.
Another thing you want to do is partner, and if you are partnering, you want to pick someone who has expertise in a certain area of the business, in a way that would complement yours. That way, you don’t have to do everything all by yourself, and you can focus on your area of expertise.
If you are not delegating responsibilities, then you have become the business. And that is a dangerous position to be in.
