How would your business run without you?

What would happen if you or a key member of your team were taken ill, or had to take an extended period of leave from the business?  This is something that’s been on my mind this month, as I had the misfortune to break my ankle whilst out walking back in June and had to take some time off working on my business.

I hate being the centre of attention at the best of times and so you can imagine my embarrassment when I realised that not only were the ambulance service involved in my rescue but the police and fire-brigade too, never seen firefighters so hot and sweaty! The police had to close the road and 2 fire tenders and a fire truck were called to carry me out of the woods on a stretcher.  On arrival at hospital I was diagnosed with a fractured ankle in two places and told that I’d need surgery to correct it.  I was operated on the following morning and allowed to go home two days later, as I was leaving my consultant told me that I would have to be non-weight bearing for six weeks!

I’m now six weeks down the track and had my cast removed a couple of days ago and although I’m healing nicely, I’ve become increasingly aware of the impact my accident has had both on me and my business.  I’m fortunate that as a business coach I’m able to do my coaching sessions online via Skype or Zoom, so I do not have to drive to an office/place of work    My weekly networking sessions have had to stop, these had moved online due to the pandemic, but I currently find the early starts difficult.

My accident reinforced my thinking about how business owners would cope if a key person within their business became incapacitated, or had to take time out of the business for a while.

As a business coach I spend my time helping clients to structure their businesses to ensure that they run like clockwork and could work without them if they wanted it to, or alternatively, if it had to.  Occasionally a spanner gets thrown into the works that disturbs the smooth running machine, you might lose a key contract, a big piece of kit might break down or you might have a flood at work which means you can’t use your office.  All of these eventualities can be planned for in advance enabling you to have procedures in place to ensure the smooth running of your business.

However, not all events can be specifically planned for:-

  • People
    • When a key member of the team is suddenly absent you need everyone else to step up and pull together.
    • Your response is going to depend on the situation you find yourself in and it’s important that you allow some flexibility in your approach. Knowing your staff member is going to be out for 6 weeks due to a planned operation gives you more time to prepare compared to being informed that a staff member has been rushed to hospital following a stroke with little or no idea of when they may return.
    • Communication is key here and this can be an opportunity for junior staff to take on more responsibility. You need to ensure that each individual knows what’s required of them and that they can come to you to ask for help and advice if required.

 

  • Training
    • Having a well trained work force is going to help you transition quickly to when a key member of your team is unexpectedly absent.
    • If they’re confident and secure in their roles then it’s likely they’ll be able to take on more responsibility.
    • It’s also important to recognise that you might need to provide your team with extra support and training to help them take on the extra work load.

 

  • Systems
    • All the clients that I work with are encouraged to ensure that they have good systems in place and my accident I would say reinforces that need, if indeed any reinforcement was actually needed. If you have a Company Hand Book that explains each person’s role and responsibilities then you’ll be able to spread the workload around your team and pick the best person for the job.  If you haven’t then each person can write instructions on the basic parts of their role, so others can follow and undertake most of the tasks.

 

  • Processes
    • Having clear processes also helps your team to carry on. Knowing that certain things happen at set times each day, week or month and how your staff member fits into those is important.  Imagine for example your Finance Director goes off on Maternity Leave and is likely to be out of the office for 9 months how are you going to cope?
    • Yes you might employ someone to cover their role or perhaps you can work together as a team to do key elements leaving the actual accounting side to your regular book keeper.
    • In order to do this you need to know how frequently tasks are undertaken and the software that is used.

 

I hope you have found these tips useful.  If you would like to have a conversation about how you might tweak your business then Book your 1 hour Coaching With Kathy slot today and together we can help you navigate this challenge and ensure your business remains on track.  To book you can call me on 07952 112432, or email kathybassett@actioncoach.com