“I’m sure I’m forgetting something…”
This is what a dear friend and client said to me on a call recently. We were discussing the anxiety she feels now that her new systems are working smoothly and efficiently. She’s streamlined her onboarding process to the point that it makes her feel a bit anxious – because it only takes a few minutes.
In her mind, onboarding is a complex process with multiple steps. She has to move slowly and carefully in order to do it all properly. Or at least, that’s how things were in the past. But not any longer…because her process includes templates, checklists, and very few steps.
“But I’ve never served that many clients at once.”
Another client I love has created so much efficiency in her workflow that she can take on additional clients. But she hasn’t expanded her availability yet and she still has a waiting list. Why? Because she’s only ever worked on 4 projects in a month, and that’s what feels right to her.
She has the capacity to complete 6 projects in a month now. She’s grown her team, streamlined her processes, and built systems to let her scale her business. But she’s still stuck.
The problem is mindset. We need to expand our thinking when our systems start working well enough to expand our capacity.
Systems help us grow our capacity so we can grow our business. We get more efficient and we eliminate wasteful steps that keep us from moving forward. We delegate work, build a team, and start to scale.
But, if we don’t also expand our mindset, we’ll stay stuck. We might even start to sabotage our own growth without realising it. We need to expand our thinking and change our mindset in order to sustain the growth in our business.
Here are some things to consider…
Value is not created by effort. Value is created by quality.
In the beginning, most of us have an effort based mindset when it comes to the value of our work. Projects that take longer to complete or require more focus, effort, and energy naturally feel more valuable to us. We believe hard work equals value.
When systems begin to work smoothly and processes become more efficient, this mindset is challenged. Suddenly, the same work requires less effort, less time, and less focus. You feel pressure to do more or add more steps so you can hold the same level of value as before.
This is an indication that it’s time to shift your mindset.
Value is created by quality, not effort. The results you deliver for your clients, the expertise and experience you bring to your work, and your attention to detail hold value. Your efficient systems simply give you the opportunity to share your valuable work with more clients.
Shift your focus from operations to leadership.
As the founder of a growing business, you’re accustomed to doing most of the work. The original ideas were yours…and the responsibility to execute on those ideas was yours as well. You were busy, focused, and getting things done. That’s what created your success.
Now that you have systems in place and a team to support you, it is normal to feel a bit lost at times. You’re not as busy now, and things get done even when you aren’t the one doing all the work. It seems too easy, too peaceful. You might even feel you’ve forgotten something important.
This is an indication that you need to shift your mindset – and your focus.
It’s time to turn your attention to leadership, and spend more of your time inspiring your team, thinking strategically about your business, and creating new products and services. It’s time to do the critical strategic work you pushed aside when you were simply too busy.
Expand your vision so you can capitalize on your new capacity.
What happens when you achieve a really big goal and reach a level you’ve been chasing for a long time? After you celebrate a bit, it’s natural to feel a little lost. You’ve worked for months or years to grow your business to this level, and now that you’re here you might feel unsure of yourself.
This is an indication that you need to shift your mindset – and your vision.
What’s next for your business? Only you can answer this question and set a vision for the future. Take this time to create a new vision for your business – one that further expands your revenue or your client list or your offerings. Dream about what you’d like to do next and the impact you’d like to have on the world in the next months or years.
Your systems expanded your capacity and opened the door to new possibilities. Now it’s time for YOU to envision yourself (and your team) capitalizing on them.
