The problem with having people under you as you start your Internet business is knowing when to let go and allow people to learn by their mistakes. Does anyone else feel disconcerted by that phrase?
I expect there are some parents ( of whom I am not one ) reading this who will have some idea of what I mean. There will also be people from other walks of life who are in professions where they have responsibility for ensuring people mature in a safe manner. In my case, this refers to my training and experience as an approved driving instructor.
I'm not sure that there is actually a specific piece of advice to this problem so perhaps the best thing is to show how I deal with such situations. I have detailed three stages of action below for when you start to recruit people in your Internet business.
1. Speak to your new recruit on the phone in order to ascertain their level of knowledge and skills. You can then ask them to send in e mails of any queries they may have which you will deal with on , say, an every other day basis to begin with. Give specific instructions to help them get up and running, especially if the system is complicated. You can, of course, use auto responders to keep them informed.
2.Start to move away from having a too hands on approach by responding to questions in a more Socratic way - that is to say, if they ask a question and you think they should be able to work out the answer for them self, then ask another question back which will lead them towards their own answer. I understand that Socrates only ever answered a question with another question - if you value your life, I would take this with a pinch of salt. Frankly, he sounds to me like an irritating sort of guy but I'm sure you get the picture.
3. Begin introducing them to Internet forums and any technical support channels that may be open to them as well as encouraging further self and professional development through reading, DVD's and courses etc. Reduce the e mail replies to about once a fortnight.
A less conventional idea ( but one which I've found helps people gain confidence ) is for you to ask them to help you with something that you know they are competent with. Only ask if you're sure they will be able to help so that they begin to feel appreciated and valued. Nothing brings on a person's self esteem/learning more than that - believe me! It is through developing people's self esteem that they will grow confidently and perform to their best.
Once you've let go sufficiently - your relationship may become one more of a business partnership than student and mentor but what happens when they make a mistake - which they will do one day - assuming your clients are human beings? My answer is always to make it clear that mistakes should not be taken personally and we all make them ( well, I do ) and that the situation should be corrected as soon as possible to limit the damage. You can be there for them as moral support, but try to encourage them to sort out their own problem - even if it's easier to do it for them! This is often where the use of Socratic questioning mentioned above comes in to its own. That is to say where some level of knowledge on the subject is already held.
And, on that note, I shall leave you with the question of how you are going to use the above pointers to solve said paradox of being too helpful a helper when starting your Internet business.
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