They say experience is the best teacher, and while I’m inclined to agree, I can’t help but stress the importance of learning from the experiences of others as well. There’s no substitute for getting your hands dirty and trying things out for yourself, but you can keep yourself from losing fingers if you pay attention to how well things worked out for those around you. With that in mind, and with the old year drifting behind us as the new year picks up steam, I thought I’d share six of the most essential things my experience has taught me, so that I may save you all some trouble.

Don’t Compromise on Quality: We all want to save money where we can, and I always commend people’s efforts to broaden their own skills or make the most of their available tools. However, sometimes it's worth spending the extra money it takes to hire an expert or purchase some dedicated software to get it done right the first time, rather than waste your own time and resources trying and failing to do something you’re simply not qualified for.

Avoid Micromanagement by Setting Systems in Place: Bosses who insist on personally verifying every file and update their team works on are going to slow down production, but bosses who avoid or ignore when problems are brought to their attention are just as likely to create bottlenecks. Delegation is important, but establishing a hierarchy is useless if no one actually follows it. Big businesses and small start-ups alike should always have their workflow processes and approval protocols clearly outlined, making sure everyone from the highest executive to the newest intern understands and applies it. Upper management must be involved in creating and approving these systems so they know where to be more hands-on and when to trust in their team, as this will make onboarding new employees, identifying areas that need to be streamlined, and improving decision making systems easier than ever before.

Update and Organize Important Information: Key documents relating to projects cannot be scattered across different places, nor should they be kept exclusively on a single person’s desktop. Every company must have a secure yet accessible means of backing up their documents to prevent intentional theft or accidental loss, as well as a clear and efficient system for naming and organizing their files so that critical resources can be quickly located. In order to achieve this, the company should put together a comprehensive resource explaining how the system works, a sort of wiki that personnel can reference to ensure they’re work is categorized and filed properly.

The World Doesn’t Run on Your Schedule: It’s easy to forget that whatever’s at the top of your priority list could very well be at the bottom of someone else’s, and vice versa. The reason it’s so easy to forget is typically due to miscommunication, which is why I’ve learned to always explain the importance behind each request, task, or email to whoever I assign it. Please understand, that’s not to say I simply tack on some rigid or arbitrary ETA, rather, I lay out my reasoning for why the deadline needs to be met, as this conveys the weight of the goal and allows whoever I’m assigning it to properly appreciate its importance and arrange their work schedule closer to my timeframe.

Personality vs Performance: During the year 2019, I had the privilege and misfortune of meeting and saying goodbye to many people who had great personalities yet lacked performance, as well as people with great performance who lacked collaborative or positive attitudes. Losing a member of the team is never easy, and trying to find a replacement who turns out to be a poor fit is very frustrating. It required some trial and error, I took chances and made compromises that didn’t always yield the results I was looking for, but I’m pleased to report that my experiences have helped me develop a balanced strategy. I’ve learned that there is far more value to be had in an average performer with a positive attitude than someone who is capable of doing great work but is incapable of working well with others.

Delegate to Those who Deserve, not Those who Desire: It can be difficult to decide who you should put your trust in, especially if your previous choices didn’t work out as well as you’d hoped. It can be tempting to grant a position of power and authority to whoever has the most seniority, but just because a person has been with the company for a length of time does not necessarily qualify them for control. Perhaps their skillset is best suited to where they currently are instead of where they want to be, or maybe they’ve worked their role for so long that they lack the fresh perspective necessary for the position that needs to be filled. In today’s economy, hiring a new employee to fill a vacant position may bring as much as 200% more value to your company than moving an established employee up the ladder. Indeed, the consequences of appointing an unfit leader can far outweigh the cost of introducing and training someone new, so make your decision wisely.

Whether you’re a mother, a wife, a leader, or all three like myself, you will never be perfect at everything. There will always be mistakes that seem so obvious in hindsight, decisions you’ll regret making, and even victories that you can’t help but wish were greater. Dwelling on our failures holds us back, but reflecting on results as a whole gives us the perspective we need to keep moving forward. If you develop a set of standards to follow, outline principles across all aspects of your life and see that you stick to them, then you’ll always be able to stay on track and live a balanced life, no matter how your endeavors turn out.

By following this advice, I was able to plan out and pursue exciting business ventures and bring a new addition to my family, yet still keep my balance throughout the year. Now I’m entering 2020 with a better outlook and broader perspective, ready for whatever awaits me.