Scaling up to achieve balance

AS CEO of business building company Performance 7, Anna Samios supports companies to scale their organisations efficiently and effectively – with work-life balance top of the agenda.

Using the US-developed Scaling Up business growth framework, Anna first advises her time-pressed clients to look within and admit they are working too hard.

“Step one is to acknowledge that running your business is a marathon more than a sprint, and as such you have to take care of yourself first,” she says. “Get very clear on your definition of success – what do you want to get out of your business, both financially and personally?

“The second step is to accept that it’s impossible to scale a company if you are wearing all the hats and making all the decisions. As much as some business owners like to take on the persona of being a hero-led business this is not sustainable, and in fact is counterproductive.”

Used by more than 70,000 companies globally – including Australian outfits like Infotrack, Atlassian, Greencross, Big Red Group, Prospa, and Octopus Deploy – The Scaling Up proprietary implementation process supports teams by bringing discipline, focus and accountability to the workplace by prioritising four key strategic pillars: People, Strategy, Execution and Cashflow.

And, putting people first in the work-life balance equation means making room in your diary for you.

“Taking a break is not a nice-to-have but an important part of building a sustainable business,” advises Anna. “You, your family, and your team will love you for it.”

Starting out in her first business, Anna had a sage adviser who recommended her to set aside time for fun and relaxation at the beginning of every year.

“Glen Richards of Sharktank fame and I had a great mentor in Andrew Geddes as we were both growing our first companies,” she tells Australian Conveyancer magazine. “The very first thing Andrew would make us do is block out four holidays per year. Some were two week breaks like over Christmas, others were extended long weekends, usually around the school holidays.  

“This forced us to stop and replenish ourselves as our Number One priority. All our board meetings and customer commitments were then diarised around these breaks. 

“In the early days of running my first business I was all about working long hours, thinking that would mean more sales and more profit…but we know, as business owners, working harder doesn’t always lead to more profit.”

Anna says Performance 7 systems utilise initial tools to help guide the thinking of business owners to avoid stress overload.

“The first is your One Page Personal Plan that you complete yourself and the second is the business’s One Page Strategic Plan that is best completed with your team,” she says.  

“If you want clarity and alignment, these tools deliver that in spades, helping you to distill your thinking onto a couple of pages and remove all the noise.  

“Gaining clarity of what you truly want for yourself and then for your business – and, yes, they are two very different beings – helps a lot!”