There’s a theory that suggests more people than you would expect feel out of place and out of their depth, but some are just better at hiding it. Now of course, that’s a nice platitude but it doesn’t really hold up to much logical scrutiny. An air traffic controller might have impostor syndrome after being promoted to the job they’ve always wanted to do, but it’s pretty clear that without competence and the ability to know what they’re doing, no one would have let them within five miles of the position.
For this reason, it’s important to remember that if you feel out of your depth, it’s absolutely fine to be so. Staying out of your depth, especially when your work depends on being familiar with the task at hand, can be a mistake. Sometimes, this means referring to the experts, or sometimes, it means listening more than we talk. In this post, we’ll discuss three surefire methods by which a business owner can overcome such an issue:
Outsource & Consult The Experts
It’s never shameful to be out of your depth, but it is a problem to make decisions that you have no idea about just because it’s you in charge. Taking the time to properly consult with the right people, like an energy recovery wheel manufacturer when replacing your own fixtures, can help you choose the right replacement, understand the process, field questions, and better predict the outcome of certain actions. This may mean outsourcing a professional consultant from time to time, or meeting with your accountant to go over every one of your accounts because of a reported tax issue.
Get It In Writing
If you feel as though promises are vague and it’s hard to rest comfortably as a brand owner, make certain to get communications in writing and contracts properly signed before you move forward. Having documentation to refer to can help you avoid the tendency to keep everything in your head. In other words, having a process by which you delineate official planning will help you keep things simpler, as well as rely on people more easily. Get the agreements in writing, as well as appointments and their purpose. It will help you remain logical even with a busy schedule.
Commit To Research
To the extent you can, foster a healthy interest in that which confuses you. This doesn’t mean you need to learn a full programming language just to speak to your IT service providers with more authority, especially while you have a business to run, but it can be healthy to understand what operation you’re running and how it matters. This might simply mean reading into new shifting changes like the switch to Web 3, or what the most pressing social political cause is before your company decides to make its feelings known.
With this advice, you’re certain to deal with feeling out of depth as a business owner. We hope it’s reassuring that there are no perfect and magic fix for this issue most people experience, but you can move forward and overcome it with a little practice.