Hi Reader,

Most households have a job that nobody officially does.

The dishwasher that has finished but hasn’t been emptied, the recycling that’s one more bottle from overflowing, or the hallway light bulb that everyone has noticed for a week. Everyone can see it, everyone assumes someone else will get to it, and then one evening somebody (usually the same somebody) sighs and does it themselves!

Businesses have their own version of the dishwasher, and if you’re the founder, there’s a good chance you’re the one who ends up emptying it.

Where the dishwasher jobs hide

In a growing business, these jobs tend to sit in the spaces between people. The follow-up after a discovery call, the client question in the shared inbox, or the onboarding document that three people have tweaked and nobody has finished. They’re nobody’s fault. They’re simply the jobs that never had a name next to them, so they wait until you notice.

That’s a lot of noticing to carry, and it’s one of the reasons a business can feel busier than it should, even with good people around you.

The good news

This is one of my favourite things to sort out with clients, because the difference shows up so quickly. Once each area of the business has a clear owner, the team move with more confidence, fewer things wait on you, and the whole business feels a lot calmer.

The second post in my Better Business series shows you how to get there, with the signs to look out for and a simple half-hour exercise you can do this week.

Read here > The Simple Fix for a Calmer Business When Nobody Owns Anything​

A small challenge

Before you click through, have a think about your own business. What’s your dishwasher job? Send me a quick reply with yours, as I suspect there will be a few familiar ones.

Until next week,

Katie