Admitting you don't know it all

I’ve got a secret… I’m an expert at everything. Better than everyone at doing absolutely everything. True story. ;-)

Seriously though, it’s this kind of mindset that hurts so many entrepreneurs.

When you read it — in black and white — it’s clear how ridiculous it is, but many entrepreneurs make this very mistake. They hire experts and then don’t trust their expertise; micro-managing and second guessing them.

The bad news is that this mindset is a classic — and costly — entrepreneur’s mistake.

The good news? It’s easily fixed.

How to get maximum value out of the experts you hire…

I’ve worked with hundreds of clients and I can tell you for certain that the best collaborations happen when clients hire me for my expertise, allow me to put my skills to work for them, and chime in when it comes to educating me about their brand.

In other words, they let me do what they hired me to do!

This is a concept that I always call upon when I hire experts for my own businesses.

I don’t tell my lawyer how to legalese, I don’t tell my graphic designer how to create, and I wouldn’t dream of telling my programmers how to code.

I trust their tools and I trust their expertise. And I pair their expertise and my trust in them as experts with insight about my brands to create a collaborative work that beats expectations every.damn.time.

It’s been said that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.

When you get to the point that you’re ready to outsource and hire an expert to help you with any portion of your business, it’s safe to assume that you want different results than those you can get yourself.

Give those you hire the authority they need to make changes. Micromanage them and you marginalize them.

That means, it’s time to turn the reigns over to your expert of choice. Here’s how...

Benefit from their experience.

Experts offer an outside perspective plus best practices learned through their work with other clients. Commit to being open to new ideas from your expert!  If it’s different than how you’ve been doing it, that’s probably a very good thing. Embrace it!

Don’t give them tasks below their “pay grade.”

Never treat an expert like an underling. This is one of the biggest mistakes you can make as an entrepreneur. If you’ve hired a real expert, their work will usually come at a premium. The last thing you want to do is pay an expert price for administrative tasks.

Get what you need, not what you want!

Your expert may recommend that you do something different than you want, or expect. That’s a very good thing. If you are outside of your comfort zone, you are on the path to growth. Go with it! 

Pick a KPI, and stick to it

A KPI — key performance indicator — is a measurement that helps you determine if you’re on the way to achieving your strategic goals. 

Pick your KPIs and stick to them. Measure the success of your partnership with your expert according to the goals you set at the beginning of your relationship.  

The biggest mistake you can make as an entrepreneur is trying to do it all.

Recognize your strengths and hire others to handle the parts of your business that are not in your wheelhouse. 

Have you brought in outside experts to help with your business? How did it go? What challenges have you experienced? Let’s talk! Share your thoughts in the comments below!