Turning your bookkeepers into leaders will help you retain top talent and free up time in your own schedule. Many professionals are hungry to learn and grow in their careers. And one of your roles as a manager is to help your team grow, seize new opportunities, and develop professionally. But how do you foster your team’s potential and empower them to take on new responsibilities at your bookkeeping firm?

Teach Networking

Connecting with clients and other professionals is a big part of any career, but those skills don’t come naturally to many people. In order for your team members to transition into leadership roles, they have to learn how to network. Empower your staff at company events and conferences to represent your company. Encourage them to make connections!

Provide Training and Resources

One of the biggest obstacles that prevent staff members from tackling new challenges is a fear of being unprepared for them. The way to combat this is to provide adequate development resources so your team can learn new skills and grow. This can be done through courses, regular presentations, workshops, and conferences.

Delegate, Delegate, Delegate

Sometimes, you have to let go of the reins a little. It can be difficult to hand over a task to a new person, especially when you’re confident in your own abilities to get the job done well and quickly. But it’s vital that your team knows that you trust them to own projects. Carefully decide which tasks can be delegated, based on your team’s bandwidth, experience, and desire to learn. 

Create a Feedback Loop

As your team members begin to branch out and take on more responsibilities, there’s bound to be some trial and error. It’s natural to struggle and make mistakes. Feedback is the key. Make it easy for your team to provide feedback to you as a manager and vice versa. If a member of your staff feels they need more training for a certain task, they should have a way to communicate that. 

Be a Mentor

You aren’t just a manager at your firm; you’re also a mentor. It can be very challenging to take on new responsibilities and grow in the workplace. It’s important that you’re there for your team throughout the process. Set aside time to meet with staff one-on-one to talk about their development and their goals, showing them that you care about them individually. Your team will be much happier knowing their individual interests and aspirations are being taken into consideration. 

No matter what, it’s always important to encourage your team and reward progress and accomplishments. The more empowered your team feels, the more confidently they’ll be able to represent your firm to potential clients and business contacts. Plus, though it may seem difficult at first to relinquish control of certain projects, delegation will ultimately help you free up your own time so you can focus on your most important work. 

Struggling to delegate at your firm? Check out our other blog post for some tips and tricks!