We all know we’re supposed to “work on the business and not in the business” right? And yet for most of us its really hard to do. People say this over and over but only a few actually follow this advice. So what holds us back? And, exactly how do you put “stepping away” into practice?
How to More Work ON and Less IN Your Business
Do you regularly set aside blocks of meaningful time for yourself to reflect on the business? When faced with a critical decision to make or a tough situation to resolve, do you find yourself plunged only deeper into the work?
“More, harder, faster” is most people’s default setting. Is it yours, too?
So first off, let’s acknowledge just how hard it is to do in practice. (What a relief, you are probably thinking and no, you are not alone!)
So why? What keeps us from doing this thing, that so many of us know is good for us as leaders and business owners to do?
The Big Hairy Monster of ‘now’
Well its all to do with what I heard someone recently describe as the big hairy monster of ‘NOW’
The elephant in the room is the urgency of the situation we’re in. An elephant that is like a giant, hairy monster that is in front of us, waving his hands madly, saying, “We can’t afford to slow down, and stop doing something/anything. Are you mad? Someone just put in their two weeks notice. A client is (rightfully) freaking out about a poorly delivered project. Another client is giving us a hard time (unjustifiably) about something we have no interest in doing. Team members are having a personal dispute and we’re going to need to step in. And that new potential hire we were so excited about? He has just accepted another job so we have to go back to the drawing board for that role…”
For many of us, the hairy monster of ‘NOW’ doesn’t stop demanding attention. He doesn’t stop waving his hands around. Especially, in a small team, the monster needs us to keep all of our eyes on him or we will have a train wreck on our hands.
What’s your monster called?
Here’s How to Make Your Monster Less Scary
Firstly, recognise that an hour or two or even a day delay isnt going to make any difference truth be told. If you are (god forbid) hit by the metaphorical bus and laid low things would wait till you return – they always do, don’t they?
The monster isn’t going away but you can make him wait for a bit – and I stress I mean just a bit… but my goodness its an all important bit. Its such an important time out that will be time that is invested I promise you.
Instead of pandering to our tendency to be focused on the unexpected problems, the sudden fires, the hairy monsters constantly in our view – hit the pause button. Take a step out.
For instance, let’s examine the hairy monster of a key person about to leave. Whether it’s a walk over lunch or a day you take off to mull on the situation – the reflection will likely lead to more lucid thinking. You’ll have time to ask yourself questions like: “What’s the worst case scenario? Can we replace this person? Does this person leaving open an opportunity for us to improve our culture in some way?”
Distance and time from a problem frequently removes the fear, the sense of panic, the emotion of insecurity, or anxiety associated with it.
Problems are issues that you have not yet got a plan to tackle. Take time to plan and look at the monster through a calm, clearly thinking lens and you can act with clarity and decisiveness. You’re not posturing nor pretending things are great – rather, you’re choosing to see things for what they are. You can respond, instead of react. You can see that the big, hairy monster isn’t so big and hairy after all and not necessarily as you initially perceived. As a Business Coach for 10 plus years, I do this day in and day out with my clients. They come in all flustered and panicked and under the pump. They leave focused and with a clear plan as to what to do, by when and in what order.
Be honest with yourself and take a look back. Weren’t the best decisions you’ve made done with thoughtful deliberation, with careful time set aside, and a true stepping away from the business – be it for 10 minutes, 10 hours or 10 days. And the worst decisions you’ve made? I’ll wager this was when you were rushed, flustered, or fearful.
I heard someone describe this using a metaphor that likens the mind to a glass of water. When we are first faced with a difficult decision its like the water is all cloudy.
If we give the situation some time, the cloudy glass of water settles, and then we have a clear mind on it. And that’s when we have the epiphany of, ‘This is the right thing to do.’”
So, how do we clear our mind, and make our glass of water less cloudy?
We schedule in thinking time. It should be part of our weekly system – something like every Tuesday afternoon from 2 pm till 4.30 pm or whatever. Its your process, your way to clear the muddy water, to chase out the hairy monsters, to work on the business and not in the business.
If you don’t already take time to step back and reflect on the business, decide today that now is the time. Don’t wait – the loss of opportunity cost is considerable.
About Christine Beard
Like you, I’ve been in the driver seat of a business, and found myself spinning wheels and struggling to manage people. The struggle nearly killed me, and I burned out before I decided enough was enough.
Working with business owners as a Business Coach today, it never ceases to amaze me how much pain business owners are willing to endure before facing their fears and making a shift. You can read more about my journey from legal professional, to business owner, to #1 Business Coach here:
