Thinking Patterns That Hold Business Owners Back

Identifying yours will help you get out of day-to-day management by transferring decisions, knowledge, and relationships.

By John M. Fulwider, PhD, CEPA | 402-202-2820 | john@drivegrowthnow.com

All progress starts with telling the truth.—Dan Sullivan

Instructions: Mark all the statements that are at least somewhat true.

Control

1. I can do it better.
2. I can do it faster.
3. I like to feel needed.
4. Asking for help is a sign of weakness.
5. I need to check to make sure it was done right.
6. It needs to come from me.

Guilt

1. My team is already overworked.
2. I don't want to burden people.
3. It's unfair to make someone else do things I don't want to do myself.
4. I hate micro-managing people.
5. What if we run out of money and I have to lay people off?
6. I don't want to disappoint the people who've been with me longest.

Trust

1. If it goes wrong, I'll be the one left holding the bag.
2. If I trust someone with access to my files, systems, passwords, and the like, they might screw me over.
3. They might quit and start their own business competing with us.
4. They don't have the same commitment to quality I do.
5. They don't want to be accountable.
6. I might hire the wrong person.

Clarity

1. I don't know how to communicate expectations or define the goals.
2. My way of doing things is too unique.
3. Some things just can't be delegated.
4. I need to figure out how to do each task first (and get good at it) before I can effectively assign it to someone else.
5. What if I assign more responsibility to someone than they can handle?
6. I don't know how to hold people accountable.

Capacity

1. I don't have anyone who can take this.
2. My systems aren't ready yet.
3. I don't have time to explain how to do it.
4. I'm too busy to find the time for this.
5. I don't like following up, especially when I might not like what I find.
6. If it is to be, it has to be me.

Next Step: Ask your business coach and/or a peer business owner for coaching on items you marked.

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