The Start-Stop-Start-Stop Syndrome

Do you know someone who habitually starts a project, only to stop before finishing; and then starts another? That’s someone showing signs of the “START-STOP-START-STOP Syndrome.”

To be fair, we’ve all had issues with distractions, causing temporary work stoppage. However, when the starting and stopping of projects is habitual, reaching set business goals is unlikely to happen.

Sadly, when business owners exhibiting the start-stop syndrome announce new projects or goals, employees have LITTLE faith in its success. To be blunt, employees KNOW that where there is lack of leadership, there is also lack of follow-through!

A recent study showed 80% of Management Software’s features remain un-utilized.

Unfortunately, the old 80/20 rule, the percentage of management software’s lack of usage, is on full display in most small businesses.

On the positive side, working with small business owners around the globe over the years, we’ve seen those who demonstrate a SPECIAL character, motivating and guiding them to stay the course until a project’s completion. We refer to those types of owners as “RARE BIRDS”!

That’s the 20% Crowd; those who steadfastly overcome all opposition and other roadblocks that might hinder them from completing their mission. They are immune to “The Start-Stop-Start-Stop Syndrome.”

Entrepreneurs Exhibit the Start-Start-Start Behavior

Entrepreneurs are well-known for starting one business, only to start another business before organizing their first business. For this very reason, many start-up companies fail. Better, they should turnkey the first business to operate efficiently without them, before starting another business.

Truth is, Entrepreneurs will tell you themselves, they are easily side-tracked, because they see opportunities to make money around EVERY corner. By looking to the next exciting adventure, they find it difficult to stay focused on the mundane process of business operations.

Notably, there is a book written about this malady called the “E-myth.”  The “E” implies Entrepreneurialism. The MYTH, that most people believe, is that entrepreneurs are great business people. However, the book explains that the opposite is true.

Since entrepreneurial-type owners find the mundane daily operations of business much too boring, they often employ someone else to run their business. Unfortunately, this method of delegating the TOTAL operations of a business is a HIT or MISS adventure. Mostly, a MISS!

In addition, this adventure of delegating total operation of a business to another, without systemization, practically ensures the entrepreneur’s vision goes unfulfilled. It will be mostly unheeded by the new manager.

The Cure for the Starting and Stopping Malady

In truth, there may not be a sure-fire cure for the Start-Stop Syndrome.

However, those waylaid by this syndrome are apt to take notice when hearing THERE IS A WAY to successfully delegate the business vision that first captivated them. Employing that “WAY,” they can hardly wait to move on to the NEXT “gold-in-them-thar-hills” project.

Moreover, they’ve grown tired of hearing how they NEVER complete anything; especially from family members.

The Way to Successfully Delegate Total Operations of a Business

The owner must download their vision of how their business should operate from opening to closing, from front-to-back, into a detailed written operation manual. It’s important to take into consideration how the business will operate with five to 50 employees and beyond.

Once organizing/systemizing their small business to that level, delegation of operations has a very high percentage rate of success. At which point, they can START another business or project.

Having done it ONCE, they have the template to repeat it. Even to franchise their business. START-START-START!

Did I mention, we did this? And, great systems work!