NFIB

Determining Your Least Favorite Tasks Can Help Your Business
05/ 23/ 2002

Many entrepreneurs make a careful analysis of their personal likes and dislikes when deciding on what type of business to start. It's important and valuable, because people are more likely to be successful when doing something they enjoy.

But after a company is up and running, the owner is faced with an almost endless array of new and often critical tasks, some of which are enjoyable, some of which are not. In today's Workshop, contributor Jeffrey Moses discusses the importance of determining exactly what you like and don't like about your work.

Why take the trouble to determine which activities you don't like? Because your business can suffer if you put these tasks off, give them less than your full attention and creativity or simply do not see them through to completion. Avoiding disliked aspects of your business can result in lost opportunities and eventual lost revenue when customers sense that you’re not involved in your work. Make an honest evaluation of your likes and dislikes. It might help to write a list of your favorite and least favorite tasks. Or ask your associates or family members if they have noticed any particular jobs that you tend to shy away from. Your list of dislikes will depend on your emotional makeup, your learned skills and natural abilities (we often dislike activities we're not trained for or naturally good at), your energy levels and dozens of other aspects. Of course, the type of business you're in will also influence the list.

When you determine the aspects of your work you don't like or feel uncomfortable with, it's important to consider ways that others can assume these responsibilities. You may need to shift duties among employees or hire additional staff if possible.

It's startling how often a small business owner's personal likes and dislikes determine the direction in which his or her company grows. This is natural, but by determining exactly what you don't like doing, you can overcome resulting limitations to your company's success.

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