Help Wanted

Wow! Has it really been a full week since I’ve added to this blog? The past 7 days have been chaotic and stressful – in fact, I feel as though I’ve been out of breath since I got out of bed last Sunday! LikeWear had several big orders come in, we signed 3 new independent sales reps and my all-around “right hand” assistant was on vacation (how dare she!).

I’m an “if you want it done right you should do it yourself” kind of person. I don’t delegate well. However, that mindset, I know, is a recipe for disaster in an entrepreneurial venture. There is simply too much to do. I can’t do it all. But, I haven’t wanted to take the time to cut back on productivity (even if only for a few days) to train additional people to take on some of the added responsibility. Last week we had several big orders come in - a direct result of our newly acquired independent sales reps - and it quickly became apparent that we need to hire more people. Last week I did everything (actually, truth be told, it got so busy mid-week I had my mother working for us too!). Staying lean and mean is one thing but as I posted in a quote not long ago, “Just because you can do it yourself, doesn’t mean you should do it yourself”. And sometimes, if you are fortunate enough to reach a certain level of growth, it becomes impossible to do it all.

So, one stiff neck and 2 dark-circled eyes later, I am interviewing and resigned to not be short-sighted. I may have to extend (albeit temporarily) my delivery times while I train some new people, but it will only increase our productivity dramatically in the long run. There’s no more denying the inevitable. We need to hire additional people. I will have to learn to delegate more and trust fully in the capability of others. This trust is crucial and necessary for continued growth. And it will be a challenge that I know I will have to overcome.