Learning to Let Go

What this episode covers

As small business owners, we like doing things our own way. That is, after all, why we chose to strike out for ourselves. Taking care of all aspects of the business is exciting and, in the early days, we very seldom have a choice. But as our businesses grow, we need to learn to let go of certain parts and bring in talented people who can help take our companies forward. We’ve spoken recently about ‘lone wolf syndrome’ and on this episode of Excellence Expected we’re going to discuss a related problem, that of ‘superhero syndrome’. Doing everything ourselves is great up to a point, but once a business grows large enough, or successful enough, there will come a time when we are no longer the best person to handle particular jobs within the business. How and when do we start to let go of the reins? That’s the issue we are going to define, challenge and conquer on this episode of the number one small business podcast. Very few of us are going to be complete experts on every facet of our businesses. Keeping everything under our own control can hamper growth so it’s important to identify when the time is right to hire an expert to make sure that the business keeps moving forward. When exactly is the right time? Well, joining us on this episode is Neil Crespin, who has personal experience of this exact topic. Neil is the founder and creative director of mcm Creative Group and during the early days of the business, he was looking after the vast majority of functions within his business. As he explains in the episode, however, there came a time when he no longer felt his skill-set was enough to help the business continue to grow. It was by hiring a managing director that Neil ensured that his business went from strength to strength. He’s with us to discuss what we need to do to get the ego out of the way, find the right people and make sure that our businesses continue on an upward trajectory. Issue Challenged in this Small Business Podcast: How can I learn to let go? About Neil: Neil Crespin is the founder, owner and creative director of mcm Creative Group, an award-winning marketing communications agency. Since 2001, the agency has been providing innovative marketing and communications solutions for a wide variety of clients including John Lewis, Coca-Cola and HSBC. They bridge the gap between a creative concept agency and a technical production company. Neil’s joining us on this episode of Excellence Expected to share his thoughts and personal experience of the topic of when to let go of the reins and bring in talented people to help a business continue to grow. Neil’s Actionable Tips: * Don’t just recruit people underneath you. If you can get beyond the emotional barrier of trying to be the best at everything, which is unrealistic and can hinder growth, hiring those who are better than you at certain things can work wonders for your business. * Understand what you aren’t good at and understand it quickly. Analyse what you are good at and which things are going well and identify which areas could be improved. You then will know what type of help you need to take your business to the next level. * Learn to demonstrate your ability to trust others. You need to show those that you have hired to help grow your business that they are trusted and valued. You are the glue that keeps everyone together and you must ensure that everybody is working toward achieving what you have set out to achieve. Top Quotes: * “The business made the decision for me. I knew that I didn’t have the skillset to take the business through to the next stage.” * “Don’t just recruit people underneath you.” * “Identify the gaps in your skillsets and fill them quickly.” * “Look for people who are better at everything than you...