Do YOU have a job description?

Summary: As the business owner you need to have a job description in order to stay focused on your priorities and allow your employees to do their work.
 

This may sound like a strange question. After all, you are the boss so you are responsible for everything – right? In the big picture you are absolutely correct. However in the day-to-day reality of your business, there are specific tasks you are responsible for, for example business development or marketing or client relationships.

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Yes, I know you understand this, but here’s the real question – do your employees? Do you respect the boundaries you have set up between you and the positions reporting to you? Do you let others do the work you hired them to do?

As business owners, one of the most difficult things to do is to let go. Somehow, you feel, if you let go you will loose control over your business. It’s not true! In fact I would argue you will gain more control as you are able to focus on what YOU need to do and just follow up on the results of the people around you.  Take a moment and imagine what that would be like…nice!

So why a job description? It will help you maintain focus on what you need to do, keep you accountable, and stop you from interfering.  It will also show your employees that you have your own responsibilities.  Keep it handy, someplace easy to reference – so before you decide to take action you are gently reminded where your focus should be.

Your job description doesn’t need to be fancy, in fact how about a sticky note with your responsibilities on it stuck onto the side of your computer or phone? You can also have something more detailed that you slide under your desk blotter (a clear one, of course) to keep you focused.  In other words, pick what works for you and do it.