Business Connections by Adams

6 S U MM E R 2 0 2 1 Distracted by Wearing Too Many Hats? Many small business owners try to “do it all” themselves and end up stretched to the limit, distracted by administrative tasks that keep them away from their core competencies. As it turns out, wearing multiple hats at once is not only a fashion faux pas, it’s a sure way to decrease your productivity. While you might think multitasking helps you get more done, that’s a misnomer. Studies have shown that you can’t actually multitask. You can only switch from one task to the next, which trains your brain to pay attention to distracting things and makes you less able to focus on what’s important. Common Distractions What kinds of noncore tasks are pulling small business owners away from their primary functions? It varies depending on the type of business, but some of the most common ones are: • Information technology (IT) • Telecommunications • Marketing • Web development • Bookkeeping and accounting • Social media • Taxes and payroll • Human resources • Administrative support Small business owners may think they can do it all—wear many hats—but this approach can really stall sales and growth. In fact, business success depends in part on management’s ability to wade through the distractions and focus on critical business tasks. Every minute spent managing noncore tasks is a minute not focused on core competencies. These are defined as skills at which an individual is especially proficient, or a set of activities that a business performs better than other functions—whether more efficiently, at lower cost, or at higher quality. Think of it this way: Are you spending most of your time working on your small business, or are you spending most of your time working in it? Time is an investment, and as an owner, yours should be directed primarily at the “big picture” activities that only you can do. Leave the rest of the work to others. You’ll be better off focusing on core competencies