Organize by doing what you naturally do best
(www.myorganizedbiz.com) - Last week, I watched this interview of Virgin’s Richard Branson which is from TED Talks series (highly recommended). It’s taken me a whole week to make sense of Branson’s ideology and how it relates to the organized office. It’s that good.
The thing is - Richard Branson is a brilliant, brilliant man. He has started dozens of companies under the Virgin name and most of them have been astoundingly successful. And in light of his success, he’s also a poster child for those of us with ADD. Watch him - the man doesn’t sit still.
I want to stress an important point that Branson’s life illustrates: you don’t have to be perfect at everything to be a success. Branson does a lot of hard work, don’t get me wrong, but he’s found his niche in generating and sharing ideas that start really innovative companies.
He says it himself in the interview, the trick to his success is “finding the right people, drawing out the best in them.” He surrounds himself with people with strengths complimentary to his creative genius - which actually makes his endeavors more successful.
So what does this mean for your organized biz?
Take a look at the things you aren’t good at - maybe it’s balancing your accounts or returning phone calls. What things could you be doing that you’re not - just because you don’t like them?
Once you know this, find a way to get support. Hire your kids, hire a Virtual Assistant, get a good bookkeeper - the list is endless. When you choose to get support, your business can grow.
So, now I’m curious. What are your least favorite tasks in your business? What creative solutions have you come up with to defer them?
Tags: ADD, business, office, Organize, Richard Branson, TED, VirginRelated Stories
POSTED IN: ADD, Organize, Systems and structure
4 opinions for Organize by doing what you naturally do best
Lyle T. Lachmuth - The Unsticking Coach
Feb 14, 2008 at 5:26 pm
Branson epitomizes the idea promoted by Kathy Kolbe.. go with your Striving (Connative) Strengths.
How do I deal with what i hate?
Well, taxes for 1! I leave it to the last minute (after all in Kolbe terms I resist Follow Thru) and then blitz it for 3 days of delicious (not) pain.
Maybe I should just hire a book keeper!
Smooches, Lyle
Jean Murray
Feb 15, 2008 at 4:51 pm
I totally agree. I have found sanity by hiring a virtual assistant and a webmaster. I couldn’t live without them. And I have a CPA/bookkeeping person I trust. The key is to look for people who are supporters, not just contractors. Bring people into your success and they will be loyal forever.
Jean
Jennifer Hofmann
Feb 16, 2008 at 4:33 pm
Lyle - Great to see you here! You bring up an interesting point about the pattern of “blitzing” through something at the last possible moment. You’re probably not alone in that habit. :)
I agree that a bookkeeper can help streamline your process. Add an accountant to the mix and taxes can be a positively sublime experience!
Jean: You make an important point about hiring people you trust. I know small business owners who’ve hired someone in desperation only to find out later that it was a rash decision. And costly.
In a lot of ways it’s valuable to imagine yourself hiring a VA, bookkeeper, or accountant just like you’d hire your own employee. Being that discriminating (in a good way) can pay off in the long haul.
Thanks for your comments!
Claudia Brookes
Apr 26, 2008 at 1:50 pm
As an artist, about a third of my time has to go into framing/presentation (another third goes into marketing & business & record-keeping, and with what’s left over I get to paint). I have never liked this, but got pretty good at it out of necessity (primarily the cost–once the gallery takes out its 50%, including what you put into your framing, you are not left with much, even if you do your own). So as my art income has grown, I hire out almost all of my framing under glass (the watercolors) to a single person who is used to what I like and who gives me a substantial artist discount. I still have to keep framing supplies & an inventory of frames for my oil paintings and competitions where you “frame on the spot,” but at least the most difficult & time-consuming kind of framing–for my watercolors–is no longer my problem. I thought that I would have to hire a webmaster, but have been very happy with one of the artist “build-your-own” sites at FineArtStudioOnLine, where I di actually build my own site & amazingly have learned how to update everything myself. If you want to see that site or my work, go to http://www.claudiabrookes.com or fineartstudioonline.com/artist/ClaudiaBrookes.html
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