Press

June 22, 2009

Women at Work
by Aliza Sherman

Hiring an Assistant: Tips from an Expert

While working on my article You Can't Afford Not to Hire an Assistant, I received some great tips from a business coach via e-mail.

Lindy DeKoven is the CEO and founder of Lindy DeKoven Coaching--a career-coaching service that specializes in entertainment, sports and politics. She has worked as a top-level executive in television, sports and politics, and is an expert at coaching others in taking the steps they need to to both succeed and to transition in their careers.

When I put out my call for advice and anecdotes about businesswomen hesitant about hiring assistants, here is what DeKoven sent me:

1. Assess the Situation
If missed meetings, unread e-mails, unreturned phone calls and angry clients are staring you in the face, it's time to assess the situation and ask for some help. Women, who are notorious for their ability to multitask, truly believe that even though they may not be able to have it all; certainly believe they can do it all. But when a business starts to grow, the owner has to take appropriate action and grow with it.

2. Letting Go of Control
This is your business. Your baby. Your passion. The idea of "turning it over" to someone else is unthinkable. How can they possibly know, understand, care and love this business as much as you? Well, first, you are not "turning" anything over. You are simply asking for help because you are doing well and, in order to continue that growth, you need help. Your first employees may not share your passion initially. However, your goal is to get them emotionally invested in your business and its success. The only way to do that is to start letting go of control and bring them on board.

3. Trust Your Instincts
OK, you've asked for help. Over that hurdle. Now whom are you going to hire? Who is the right person? Whom can you trust? Well, the good news is that you know this business inside out. No one knows it better than you. And that's an advantage because you know what you need in your employees. So make a list of what you want. What kind of employee is appropriate at this juncture? What are your expectations? Meet with several candidates. Ferret out the ones you think you can trust to handle the duties you were once doing. And then trust your instincts. You've gotten this far, so it's likely you know what the heck you're doing. Your instincts have proved successful. The person you want is probably the best one for the job. So go for it.

4. Managing Your Time
Ah, what a relief. Help is on its way, and you can breathe a little easier. This is the time to prioritize your duties and start managing your time. What are your most important responsibilities? What decisions are yours and yours alone? Now that you have help, what tasks and decisions can your employees handle without supervision? What can you accomplish now that you weren't able to do before? Set a weekly meeting with your new employees; go over your expectations. Assign duties. If you do this correctly, you should be working less and your employees working more. They should be coming to you for final decisions, but they ought to be handling the day-to-day themselves.

5. Set New Goals
Congratulations. You've accomplished your first set of goals. You've achieved a great deal. Needing employees to help you develop your business means that it has grown. You are now past Stage One and embarking on Stage Two. Every time you move from one stage to the next, it's important to assess the situation, and set new goals for yourself, your employees and your business. And by the way, it's really important to take a moment to pat yourself on the back, and recognize your success and achievements. Women tend to forget this--and they shouldn't. Men are constantly patting themselves on the back, the thigh, the hands, wherever (Ever watched a game? It happens after every play.). But women tend to negate that step. Take a moment to say, "Great job, I accomplished my first set of goals. And now, with my new employees on board, I can tackle the next phase. Wow."

Lindy really nailed the way women tend to negate their achievements. I'm guilty of that far too often.

This article is also available at:
http://blogs.chron.com/careerrescue/2009/06/extreme_competitive_careers.html