Running a business takes a wide variety of skills, many of which you’ll learn on the job. Traits like good time management and big-picture perspective are absolutely essential when it comes to business success. However, that’s not the only benefit of developing this particular toolset.
Many of the skills you’ll develop while starting and running a business can also benefit your life as a whole. Life is full of challenges to tackle and obstacles to overcome. The following business skills presented by Desired Effects Coaching have a ton of crossover when it comes to reaching your personal goals and living a happy, productive life.
Delegation
One of the defining skills of any good leader — be it in business or elsewhere — is the ability to delegate. This isn’t just the simple act of doling out tasks you don’t want to deal with; it’s the capacity to recognize what skills you don’t bring to the table and figure out who does. It takes self-awareness, humility and, according to Fingerprint for Success, the ability to recognize the big picture.
For example, say you were trying to create an effective marketing campaign but your website wasn’t quite working. An ineffective delegator might continue to chip away at it and may even eventually make it work — but an effective delegator would save time and energy by searching for and hiring a web design specialist. They’d end up with a better product — faster — and also have the headspace for the work they’re good at.
This skill can apply to all aspects of your life. Work on recognizing your weaknesses and acknowledging that someone else can fill that gap. When you do so, you’ll find you get far better results and develop valuable relationships along the way.
Time Management
When you have a lot on your plate, you need to figure out how to use your time effectively. That’s why you’ll find so many successful business owners have honed their time management skills in order to create a system that works well for them.
Effective time management is useful, whether you’re working toward professional or personal goals. Not only will you be able to get more done, but you’ll also experience less stress and anxiety along the way. Desired Effect’s Coaching Mental Fitness program bears out the fact that this can help you live a healthier lifestyle, maintain better moods, and take on life with confidence.
An indispensable tool to save time (and administrative headaches) is automated payroll software like QuickBooks Time with automated timesheets for productivity. This software allows you to keep track of billable hours from your computer or smart device, empowering you and your employees to retrieve, send and approve time remotely, with push notifications that prompt employees to clock in and out. This automation can save an average three hours a week on scheduling and payroll tasks.
Coping With Failure
Goalcast points out that very few entrepreneurs succeed on their first attempt at starting a business. One of the extremely valuable lessons you learn along the way is how to pick up the pieces after a venture fails. This requires an ability to feel grief without letting it blind you to what went wrong, assess the strengths and weaknesses of your attempt, and set ego aside in order to start again and better.
Failure is a natural part of life, and we all come across it at some point or another. When you’ve practiced the skills to cope with failure, however, you’ll have a far easier time moving forward. The same techniques you use to move past an unsuccessful business attempt will apply to interpersonal failures, missed goals, and other upsets you’ll find in life.
Recognizing the skills you have — and how to use them — is one of the best gifts you can give yourself. Take a look at the tools you’ve developed over your career and see how you can use those tools in your personal life. You may be surprised at how much easier things become!
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Are you ready to unleash your leadership team’s potential? Desired Effects Coaching provides the tools you need, including coaching, workshops and training, and more. Contact us today to schedule a FREE consultation! 949-244-6006
Guest Author: Stephanie Haywood
Stephanie Haywood is an internet blogger and host of the Life Boost Blog where she focuses on sharing the gifts of self-knowledge, self-care, and self-actualization. Visit her at mylifeboost.com .