I like Vegemite.  It is a great Australian spread that tastes fantastic particularly on toast when it is nice and warm.  For those that share a passion for Vegemite or other spreads, you know the importance of getting the spread right i.e. not too much but balancing this with making sure you have enough.  The amount is important to the taste and the experience to highlight the flavour of this unique Australian product.

Working as a consultant and a business owner is a little like this.  We tend to want to do everything ourselves.  We continue to add more clients, more internal systems and practices and other initiatives to what already is a full workload.  The problem with this model is to it leads to being spread too thin.  We take on too much and as a result we do many things but really don’t achieve the great outcomes that we had hoped for.

To extend this further, I believe it significantly stagnates their growth and their ability to grow their practice and people.  I have personally struggled with this for years often flattered that clients want more work from me, staff need me  to assist or step in.  The reality is it has burnt me out in the past in the realisation I had not built a sustainable business that could thrive without me.

The flip side to this challenge is that if a consultant or business owner really excels in a particular area of his or her business they should focus on this strength and delegate the rest to others either within their business or other service providers. The only way you will find yourself in this situation is due to making a conscious shift to delegating and freeing up your time.  This can lead to significant increases in income, fantastic opportunities and strategic initiatives being focussed on as we play to our strengths, focus on what we are good at and utilise this time to really drive towards our goals and targets.

As flattering it is to be busy, the flip side is you are rarely productive and focussed on the key things that can positively impact towards reaching your goals and targets.  Get this balance right and ensure you are spreading your Vegemite exactly in the right amount and watch the taste sensation of doing great work follow.  I knew I was on the right track with this recently as I went on a holiday with my family to Fiji for two weeks and was rarely needed by our team back in our office.  I would have to say the business probably run better without me!  I still have a lot of work to do but will be focussing on this further over the next twelve to eighteen months.

Play to your best self, focus on your strengths and trust in the capability of others to free up your time so you are not spread too thin.