If you run your own business or work more than 60 hours a week, then you probably have been asking yourself two questions for a while now: “How do I make a day contain 36 hours?” and “How do I clone myself?” Though time-warping is still under development, perfecting the ability to clone yourself (in the general sense) is a process and skill any business owner or manager should possess. Knowing exactly how to fulfill a service or manufacture a product, communicate with clients or staff, report to management and track results - and teach it to someone else - will impact the speed and success at which your business grows.
Know Your Purpose. There are many different reasons to want to know how to clone yourself in a business. You might be looking to hire someone by GoSave“ href=”#"> to replace certain functions you no longer want to be responsible for, or opening a new branch and need someone to fill your role, or looking to franchise. Either way, get specific about your reason. If you are just looking to offload a few responsibilities, then that will be a much easier undertaking than franchising your business.
Get Specific. Once you know why you are looking to clone yourself, get specific about the what. Is it a particular responsibility, position or need of extra support? What exactly are you looking to outsource? Write down the categories first - don’t get sidetracked by the details! - and make a list of all the things you would want someone else to handle. For example: instead of saying, “Schedule follow-up calls with potential clients”, for now just write “Sales/Business Development”. Placing your needs in categories will help you ascertain what skills are needed when you are recruiting for this position.
Write It Down. Cloning yourself in your business can often feel awkward and frustrating. It’s like seeing a painting and then wanting to recreate it from scratch. Sure, you could guess which paints and strokes were used, but what about that special “X” quality that makes it so different? It’s important to document every step in your business (for the different categories you outlined above) - to know how they are handled - from A to Z. No detail is too minute or basic. Because the truth is, the quality “X” is in the details. Write every step of the process as though someone you had never trained could pick up the instructions and flawlessly execute the desired responsibility. Once you have finished outlining the steps for each category, organize them in a binder (this will eventually become a training manual) and start looking for your recruit.
What are the pros and cons of cloning yourself in your business? Let us know below or email us at [email protected].
