Once you make your first hire, you embark on the journey of mastering the art of management.
This is the pivotal skillset you will acquire on the manager rung of the entrepreneur ladder.
Your focus now shifts to cultivating productive and efficient employees.
You transition from being the sole driver of your business to accomplishing tasks through the efforts of others.
As a manager, you will still carry a significant workload because most individuals start as “working managers.”
However, there are two critical skills you must develop during this phase.
Firstly, learn to identify the tasks within your business that you no longer wish to handle personally. In an ideal scenario, you will have a clear understanding of your next hiring needs and the subsequent ones, allowing you to establish a structured hiring process that fosters growth in your business. (Hint: This information can be derived from your organization chart.)
Secondly, understand the distinction between management and micro-management. While the former involves instructing someone to press a button (the “what”), the latter goes into minute details, specifying how to press the button with their left index finger using 10 pounds of pressure while standing on their left foot (the “how”).
During the early stages of bringing on your first employee, it is nearly impossible to micro-manage them effectively.
To facilitate effective management, embrace a set of core meetings and practices such as daily lists, weekly LION (Last week, Issues, Opportunities, Next week) meetings conducted individually and as a team, the 90-day planning process, and annual planning.
By providing clarity in expectations and goals, you will create a path to success for both your employees and yourself.
Remember, effective management is a skill that can be honed over time, and it will serve as a cornerstone for your continued growth and success as an entrepreneur.