Delegation only works when you employ people who understand your vision
Being a successful entrepreneur is all about having a vision for your business. Entrepreneurs don’t live for now, they live for “what’s next?”. We are driven by a desire to face new challenges & to conquer new markets, and that drive is a fantastic thing. It’s the same drive that invented the iPhone and it’s the same drive that has put electric cars on our roads. The only problem is, true entrepreneurs are a rare breed, and finding employees that share that drive and vision is a constant challenge. One I have faced since I started in business at the age of 16.
Why are entrepreneurs different?
If you’re an entrepreneur, most people aren’t like you. While you’re thinking about where your business will be in 10 years’ time, they’re thinking about their next deadline, office politics, and what they’re having for dinner (or how much they do not want to be working in your company). It can make delegating work a painstaking business. No one takes your business as seriously as you do, and no one believes your vision is attainable. It’s no surprise then that entrepreneurs can’t find the right staff. Because we look for the wrong things.
But the reality is this – When it comes to believing in your vision, the right staff don’t exist. These people are made not found but you need the right attitude and personalities to work with and compliment you.
Finding staff who understand your vision
There is no one walking around out there who already believes your business is the next big thing, and there is no one who is going to whole-heartedly believe in every idea you have from the get go. If you want staff members who understand your vision, and staff members you can confidently delegate to, you’re going to have to make them yourself.
If you want people to believe, you have to be a walking embodiment of your business’s potential. You must be the ultimate ambassador for your vision. That means more than letting people know every time you have a great idea. It means having a definable vision of where you want your business to go, sticking to that vision, and being a constant reminder of the direction you are leading your company in. You do this through positive action and fantastic staff management. Not as easy as it sounds.
At first, you may be met with the same old scepticism. However, as time goes on and you reach the first milestone for your business, and then you pass a couple more, your staff will start to see your vision was possible all along.
It is at that point you will have staff you can delegate to, who believe in your vision, and who believe in you. And what’s more, you’ll believe in them too.
Remember when people treat you like they don’t care. Believe me they don’t. So sometimes you need to go with your instincts. Look past CV’s, look through the small talk, overlook their inexperience. Just look at the person behind all of this. We all need to surround ourselves with good people.
“Don’t be surprised that your life is like a circus. When you’ve surrounded yourself with clowns” (my quote!)
