If you haven’t planned in advance, an unexpected leave of absence can have devastating consequences for your business.
As the senior advisor, you are in charge of the business and give it a sense of energy and direction, says Shannon Waller, coach and program designer at Strategic Coach in Toronto. Working out a strategy with team members in the event that you must take a leave of absence will keep your business running smoothly and make it stronger.
To prepare your team and business for any situation, follow these tips:
> Take your head out of the sand
No matter how healthy you feel or how careful you are, there’s no excuse for not preparing for the worst. Your business should be able to run smoothly in your absence.
Many advisors don’t plan out what would happen to their practices if they had to take an extended leave because they don’t think anything will happen to them, says Waller. But everyone has to take time off work occasionally, whether it’s due to illness, injury or a family emergency.
As well, planning in advance means you won’t have to wait for an emergency situation to let your business run on it’s own, says Waller. If your team knows what to do, there’s no reason why you can’t go on an extended vacation.
> Consider the worst-case scenario
Visualize, with your team, everything that could go wrong while you are away.
Be specific about what the issues would be, says Waller. For example, consider whether clients would be confused about whom to talk to, whether financial plans would be left undone or if certain clients would leave. Plan ways to prevent such problems and to deal with those that may occur.
Plan scenarios for absences covering extended periods, such as three months or even a year.
> Explain your standards
To avoid confusion that may occur upon your absence, talk to your team about expectations and clearly outline office procedures.
Clarify your standards with best- and worst-case examples from your own experience, says Waller. Describe in detail how you would handle a financial plan or a trade, she says.
> Make it interesting
Write down your business’s policies in a way that’s easy for team members to understand.
Policy manuals are usually boring, says Waller. Make your list interesting and comprehensible by using plenty of examples, illustrations and charts.
> Delegate responsibilities
Get into the habit of letting your team members do their jobs without constant surveillance. That will help prepare them to run the business themselves when necessary.
When you micromanage, you train people not to take risks or to learn, says Waller. As a result, they will always turn to you; if you’re not there, they won’t know what to do.
Team members will be more confident and do a better job, she says, if you give them the chance to learn and make mistakes.
Next: Emergency time off without a plan
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