The other day I was pondering about how my job has changed in the years since I started the business and whether this is for better or worse?
I’m a designer by trade and happily, I still get some time to design jewellery whilst directing the style of the company.
But there have been occasions along the way when I couldn’t find time for the things I felt I should be doing.
A very important breakthrough for me was a realisation I made around five or six years ago.
I used to frantically try to get everything done at once. Team members would come to me every day with a problem to solve. I would either help them or help to empower them to solve it themselves.
But I would always feel slightly resentful, as if these problems got in the way of my ‘real’ work.
Then came the breakthrough.
I realised as the business was growing, this problem solving and empowering was actually now the real work that needed to be done. This was even more important than the work I thought I should be doing.
So I changed a few things around and delegated some of the tasks I previously thought I should keep hold of. I started to embrace the problems coming my way.
It worked for me and I found I actually enjoyed helping my team to solve problems and equipping them with the skills and knowledge to help them develop.
The more I helped my team, the more I was developing them and ultimately, this makes for a happy and satisfied workforce.
Things have moved forward again since then and I now employ a general manager who helps me with many day-to-day problems and issues that arise.
But not everything has a quick-fix solution. Leading a company means I still have to face problems with strategy and some of the larger, more operational issues.
Looking back, I feel sure if I hadn’t learnt to enjoy problem solving, I wouldn’t have relaxed and let the transition from sole trader to manager to leader happen.
Sometimes, you have to let go a bit to allow you to focus on the bigger picture.
I can safely say it’s been a positive lesson and a lesson I’m happy I embraced.
