American businesswoman Jessica Jackley is quoted as saying, “As all entrepreneurs know, you live and die by your ability to prioritize. You must focus on the most important, mission-critical tasks each day and night, and then share, delegate, delay or skip the rest.”
The key takeaway? Just because you can do everything — or so you think — doesn’t mean you should do everything.
One of the many struggles gym owners have is the inability to delegate tasks to their staff.
Oftentimes, they worry only they can perform these items efficiently. They believe they minimize the risk of a screw up or miscommunication. And although this may be the case, it also fills up your plate quickly, leaving little room for items that might actually grow your business.
Simple tasks like follow-up calls, cleaning duties, membership tours and many other tasks can be delegated to a properly trained front desk person.
If you’re reading this and thinking, “I don’t know if I can trust Jennifer, for example, with handling those items,” then you might need to look at two things. One, is that person really the right fit for what you need, or two, are you unable to get them properly coached up on how to do those things correctly?
If they are competent enough for these tasks, draft a coaching plan and spend a lot of time with them. It will pay off in the end.
You also have to explore the possibility that maybe some items just aren’t your strong suit. Sometimes you have to set your ego aside and face the facts. Maybe you shouldn’t be the one cold calling prospects. Maybe your social media content isn’t really as good or engaging as you think it is.
Admitting you can’t do something or you need help is often a hard pill to swallow. But when you finally choke it down, you’ll then start to see your business’ true growth potential.
Take Richard Branson’s words to heart: “If you really want to grow as an entrepreneur, you’ve got to learn to delegate.”
Don Suarez is the manager of The HitFit Gym.
