The END Process
Have you ever hit a wall in your business? The wall where you’re working 12-16+ hour days, not sure when you last talked to your family, and couldn’t figure out when this nightmare of working all the time was going to end? And worst of all, maybe you haven’t made the money you want yet either.
Been there, done that. And (sadly) I have the badge tucked away.
But your business and your life doesn’t need to have that feeling, and I certainly don’t need to add anything more to your plate. But I can tell you the FASTEST way to figure out what you need to outsource or cut first.
The END Process
First, the E/N/D process is a very simple method. Next to your task list (or as you complete a task), just keep a running list of how you feel with these letters:
E = Energizing
N = Neutral
D = Draining
The Energizing (E) tasks are the ones that LIGHT YOU UP. These are the tasks you love to do, and would be so sad to give away to someone else. They are likely the bread and butter of your business’ success, and you have no problem talking about or doing these tasks for hours. You might even hit your flow state in here where you blissfully lose track of time.
The Neutral (N) tasks are the ones that you don’t love, but you don’t hate. You can get these done, they’re not your favorite thing to do, but you don’t really feel energized or drained. They’re just neutral tasks, and you might even do some of these on autopilot.
The Draining (D) tasks are the ones that you hate or despise. You get them done, or maybe worse, leave them on your list forever and in turn end up having to do them only under a deadline (I’m looking at you, taxes). The task on your list might feel draining by looking at it, but it’s how working on the task itself makes you feel.
But I want to add another layer to this process.
If you’re working 12+ hour days, you should also mark the TIME you check off the task and assign the E/N/D letter.
You might have tasks that are normally E/N tasks, but getting marked with a D when you’re burnt out on working, then that’s a sign you need to reassess your boundaries. When a task you love is not feeling the love, something bigger might be at play in your business.
Or, if the only time you have to work on your E tasks is late in the day, you’re getting bogged down by the need-to-do tasks and your process and customer service experience might need to be fixed ASAP.
Once you have your E/N/D list completed, NOW it’s time to find the person or team you need to outsource to. And I always recommend outsourcing your pain points (the D tasks) first. Yes, you will find someone who finds your draining tasks as their energizing tasks.
OUTSOURCE YOUR DRAINING TASKS
TO A PERSON THAT FINDS THOSE TASKS ENERGIZING
THIS is the secret sauce to success in your business. When you’re in your energizing tasks, you tend to take less time to complete the tasks, and are happier in your role. It’s actually a win-win-win situation.
If you’re struggling to have the resources you need to hire, then start small:
Charge more for your next service to cover a few hours of a new hire/service you want to outsource
Do you want to have a shortage of resources temporarily, for long-term success?
Can you cut a task from your list and still run your business successfully?
As a business owner, it is important to recognize that by avoiding the topic of assessing your service, role, and responsibilities, one of your goals for growth and scalability is investing in the right resources for you, and that typically starts with systems and teams.
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