Are You the Weakest Link?
- Tuesday, August 17, 2010
You know your business plan inside and out. Your finger is on the pulse of the industry in which you work. If you are a small business owner, you probably spend most of your time on the big picture and rely on your staff to take care of the rest. I’m talking about day-to-day operations such as running the accounting department, troubleshooting equipment problems, or managing software upgrades.
You have great people working in your company. But would you know how to do everyone else’s job if you had to step in and do their job? Could you train a new hire in a pinch? If not, you may be the weakest link in your company.
I see this in a lot of client offices, the boss doesn’t know what it takes to do a particular task, and they think it can be done faster but don’t really know how to do it themselves. Being in the dark about the process of getting business done can cost you more than a few sleepless nights.
What’s the answer? Take time to familiarize yourself with each area of your company’s operations. Have your staff write down the procedures and problems they deal with on a regular basis. Create "job audits" by having employees keep track of what they do and how long each task takes, know what they do daily, weekly, monthly, and so on. As your business grows, more procedures, documentation and clear guidelines are needed. Should someone call in sick or quit abruptly, you don’t have to be the “the weakest link.” Instead, you’ll be the “temporary bridge” while you wait for help to arrive. Stay nimble and stay prepared.Labels: job audits, office procedures, weakest link
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