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E-Myth Blog

The Technician's Addiction

2008 | Jul 17 in Business Development , Leadership

This E-Myth notion of "working on it not in it" has to be – by far – the most unanimously embraced concept and seemingly, the most elusive. I would go so far as to say that it is the number one reason business owners from around the globe attend a two-day intensive training here in the Sonoma wine country to work on their business not just in their business. They all have some moment of realization that they may have to actually leave it (work) – vacate it – in order to work on it. Oh yes, they come for the wine too. Over a bold glass of Zinfandel, most report that they have tried to balance their days, weeks & months to include some strategic work but have found that the seemingly endless tactical and technical needs of the business completely engulf any and all good intentions. Are you with me?

Becoming a True Business Owner

I’ll never forget the very wise and brave Insurance Agent at one of these seminars who decided that it was time he became an Insurance Business Owner. Don’t misunderstand – he had owned the business for years and had built a very successful practice – a place the technician in him could freely practice technical work without the interference of a boss. At first it was freeing and satisfying for him but later it became overwhelming and binding. He described the feeling he had when he stayed up all night reading The E-Myth Revisited and felt the excitement of a way out. As a result of reading the book, he decided he would start thinking more like an entrepreneur and less like a technician and would commit time daily to work on his business too. Years went by and he became accustomed to the idea of working on it, of having a business that was self sustaining but the idea never manifested into anything more than an idea and a few random documented systems.

Finally, tired of the routine, tired of feeling trapped with no apparent end in sight – he decided to make the boldest, scariest move that a technician can make; he decided to stop doing technical work – cold turkey! He committed to leaving the business for six weeks and focus completely on the business of building a business that works. He would spend the next six weeks in the library doing the strategic work of working on his business – or at least attempt to. He described the expectation he had that the business would suffer in new revenue and policy holders in the short-term and of the discomfort his staff and his wife at home would have during these six weeks. What he didn’t expect was that the person who would suffer the most and have the most discomfort was himself.

As any addict knows, detox is a hard journey and it is certainly no different for a "technical work" addict. The first few days away from the business in the library were painful. He didn’t know what to do with himself. Where would he start? What did it really mean to think strategically and systemically? Maybe he was a man without a vision and if so, what did that mean? He ached for the experience of feeling productive – of winning a new client or even answering the phone. He wondered what was happening in the business and questioned his sanity for even thinking of leaving it. Did he really want to blow up his life? What a mess! He decided after two days of torture that he would give himself until the end of the week and if nothing happened by then, he would return to the comfort and safety of the technical work on Monday.

Thursday morning came and he arrived at the library at 8:30 am as he had for the three previous days. But this morning he felt different. He felt a clarity he hadn’t experienced before. The day-to-day detail of the business seemed smaller while the overall function of an insurance business seemed larger. He felt lighter and in an odd way empty of the need to get to work - at least in the way he used to. Objective at last, he began working on his business.

A New Perspective

At the end of the six weeks, three unexpected results happened. First, his business did not lose revenue; in fact, it increased compared to the same time period the year before. Second, his staff had been more productive in his absence than ever before. They embraced the opportunity to rise to the occasion and enjoyed the experience of not having a technician for a boss. And third, he found that he was not the same person.

He defined being productive in an entirely new way:

His business looked different – He saw the business as a highly functioning network of systems.
His clients looked different – He could see his target market with clarity and had a new-found passion to better shape the business to serve them.
His financials looked different – They painted a picture of the overall performance of the business and he embraced that information rather than hiding from it.
His employees and his future employees looked different – He could see their potential and what he could – and should – expect from them.
His life looked different – He could see the life he had created for himself and could now envision the life he wanted to intentionally create.

The Insurance Agent finally became an Insurance Business Owner.

Sometimes, we have to leave the business, vacate the comfort of our offices and daily interruptions to be able to see our businesses objectively.

Strategic work is difficult and does not come easy to most. The Insurance Agent had to leave his business to get the strategic perspective he knew he needed.

Once he did, he knew he could never go back to the reality of his "technician’s addiction." Sometimes the best thing you can do to work on your business is to free yourself from the technical reality of the day-to-day for a period of time – stop cold turkey – to leverage the entrepreneurial perspective in a different environment, and then come back to the business on your own terms, as an Entrepreneurial Leader.

Comments

Tad C. says:

Great Blog..Hope to try that myself.Keep the great insights coming!!!

Submitted Jul 18, 2008 11:16 AM
Dan F. says:

I have tried, but have not succeeded yet for the following reasons.

1. Numerous attempts cost a lot of money and cash flow depletion kills me trying to find someone who won't create more headaches--then one loses time and money.

2. Mistakes and incomplete work can't be spotted until too late unless one is in the physical presence of the person to whom work has been subcontracted. This requires an office, and if you don't have an office, in the home is not an option. I know I have to figure out a way to do this, but this is extremely difficult. I suspect breaking "technical" tasks into many, many pieces and farming out one piece at a time is the way to go. However, one must consider the time benefit of the each piece. If you contract out something that does not free a lot of time so you can make more money, you won't be able to recuperate the lost money paid to the contractor.

Submitted Jul 18, 2008 11:24 AM
Betsy L. says:

I cannot agree more. About 10-12 years ago, when I first read the E-Myth Revisited, I had my epiphany and discovered that I was a technician addict, too. I didn't just walk away for 6 weeks, but I gradually over a year's time, with the help of a business consultant, changed how I viewed myself as a business owner and my role as an entrepreneur.

I know many small business owners, and most of them think they need to be the technician, that they cannot afford to hire employees to do this work. I will tell them that as soon as I learned to trust my employees to do the work, so I could be the visionary for my business, I started making more money. Lots more money in a very short period of time. Many small business owners don't believe it; they are scared to make the change.

There are some key components to this. You need to have a strong marketing plan which means you need to clearly define who your market is, what the message is that you want to convey and how you are going to reach those customers. You cannot be everything to everyone.

Secondly, you have to hire well. Your employees need to be self-driven, movtivated people with a strong work ethic. You cannot create character and personality. If your employees have these traits, they will inherently want to improve themselves, do better at work, learn new things and impress you. They will step up to the plate and take care of business for you. As long they know the expectation (and the marketing plan) and you reward them for their work, you will have the time to envision your business and they will keep your business running and the money coming in.

Submitted Jul 18, 2008 11:29 AM
Joshua L. says:

Brilliant Wendy! The 'technician's addiction' is a great way to put it! Going through detox is a must for technician's wanting to get to the entrepreneur position. E-Myth should create a 'detox kit' that would walk the business owner through the process in 30 days (or 6 weeks in this example).

Submitted Jul 18, 2008 11:57 AM
Sandra P. says:

Dan, That's why the systems are so incredibly important. Here's how I did it...

I kept a spral bound notebook on my desk and I wrote down every task as I did it (not details, just bullet points). Once I had a conprehensive list I blocked 30 minutes a day to detail each bullet point.

The next thing I knew - I had systems designed and a complete manual. The process let me see where the holes were so I could fill them in and from there extracting job descriptions was simple.

As Betsy noted, good hires are key but you can't do that until you have the systems. As for hiring I have found a real key is to hire abilities and personalities - the skills can be taught.

Submitted Jul 18, 2008 11:59 AM
Mutuku K. says:

The concept discussed above works for the employed also, to some extent. I recently moved out of the technician department at my place of work and got into a business focussed role. I made the move out of a gut feeling; it is now that I am beginning to understand what I was seeking, albeit unconsciously.

So as I plan to start my own business I have started warming up on exercising the right principles and soon I will get there!

Submitted Jul 18, 2008 12:08 PM
Fred N. says:

I think after reading a few of these stories that I have accomplished IN PART the task Michael Gerber first described when I read his Emyth Revisited so many years ago.

I own a medium sized franchise business. I am the franchisor. For years, I tried to be a micro manager in the business. We did everything from franchise book keeping to trying to manage every detail of our frnachis format. It is impossible to do all and be all. I was getting deeper and deeper in trouble in every way possible for a business owner to be.

Finally, I began to outsource many of the tasks that could better be handled by experts. I began returning to my franchisees responsibility for those aspects of our business that they really, if I admitted it, could perform themselves.

I may not have followed Michael's methods completely but I did accept and adopt the spirit of his philosophy.

From a large staff of bookkeepers, field reps, marketing managers, and support, I have down sized and off loaded most of the tasks we perform for our franchisees including providing each store owner with a greater sense of independence and responsibility for their own success.Today, My phone rarely rings. I have time to plan for the future. I oversee the people who actually do the technical stuff without trying to do it all myself. I no longer rent a large expensive suite of offices. I no longer have a large payroll. Overhead is a fraction of what it was. I actually charge nothing back to our franchisees beyond a reasonable royalty. I am making more profit today than ever before and I have a comfortable office in my home..

Now I am preparing to sell my low overhead, very simple business.Before I read Michael's book and for many years after, I was a burnt out and hopelessly depressed technician wondering how I would survive.

It has taken me a long time to accomplish my goal but I kept returning to Michael's books and tapes and each time became inspired to continue working on my business.

Thank you Michael gerber. You don't know me. We have never met or spoken but I thank the stars that I read your book and listened to your tapes. You changed my life.

submitted July 18, 2008 3:54 pm

Submitted Jul 18, 2008 12:54 PM
Gonzague L. says:

I could not agree more with this. However, one very important and costly lesson I learned by trying to break free from this addiction is that you have to have your procedures written down first. You have to have an operating manual before breaking off this addiction. You have to have your company's philosophy and ways of doing things on paper.

I had started to hire able persons to perform the tasks that I was trying to free myself of, and I ended up with a freaking circus. The mistakes they have made cost me dearly. So, now I am back on square one with one difference; I am writing procedures on how to do everything.

Submitted Jul 18, 2008 2:42 PM
Nik H. says:

For practising accountants and other professionals, the ability to manage their addiction towards their technical work is very important if they want to improve their practices (funny though they always practice).

Most believe that by being good at the technical stuff, business would come to their doord. Most found out about the need to look over the horizon too late, the business is already bad.

Submitted Jul 18, 2008 3:37 PM
Robert G. says:

Unbelievable. One week before I arrive for the E-Myth 2 day intensive and you write an article on the exact reason I'm attending. I've been feeling more like a firefighter, rather than the Fire Marshall. The technician love to put out fires, as opposed to having inspections to prevent fires and making sure the firefighters have the right equipment.

As things become difficult, we tend to retreat to the comfort of being the Technician, to the comfort of "doing it, doing it, doing it" as Michael would say. I truly believe that this will be a grand opportunity to escape from the normal surrounding and normal mindset and evolve into something far better. I have been working to achieve a "stop" point for my business so that I can have the time to really dive into these lessons next week and then spend the next few months working only ON the business and stop working IN it...hopefully, with the intent of never working IN it again when it's finished.

Submitted Jul 18, 2008 3:47 PM
David O. says:

I love this article, I wonderl if it can be done with a small 2 person service business?

Submitted Jul 18, 2008 4:58 PM
David B. says:

I am that Insurance Agent! A different person but I smiled when I read your article and recognised myself in the scenario.

Before I started my Agency I had been an insurance technician for twenty five years and I was good at it. In starting the business I had previously read and understood Michael's message, so set out to build the business accordingly. I spent a few years building the client base and then attempted to 'replace myself in the business and systematize it so I wouldn't have to be there for it to work.

The hardest thing I've encountered in this whole process is exactly what this article is about - letting go of the technical work of the business. Trusting others to make the mistakes and get the lessons without me jumping in to rescue them.

Michael had warned about this in his tapes (which I have listened to several dozen times). He said 'the technical work will almost call out to and the technician in you desperately wants to answer the call. To respond to the client's demands. To be needed. To be relevant!

I found that by letting go of the techinical work, I suddenly didn't know who I was in the business. I knew that I had to focus on strategic work, to design a business strategy around the psychographics and geographics of our customer and to create a message that would connect to the frustrations of my central customer model.

I knew all that theoretically and thought I was pretty clever in my knowledge. Now it was happening for real and I found myself smacked up against my own inadequacies. The truth of what I really didn't know. And it became clear that I now had to make mistakes all over again, just like when I started the business, but now in a new role and all different mistakes to the one's I made as a technician.

The technical work still calls to me, because it represent 'easy structure' and gives meaning to my busyness. There's an instant result! A satisfied client. In my CEO role, I'm finding I have to create my structure. I have to create the demands on myslef in the absence of clients doing it for me. This is the most disconcerting part. The haunting fear that I'm no longer relevant in the business.

My message is that as soon as you let go of the technical work, be prepared for the fog in which you will suddenly find yourself. It takes a total commitment to stay focussed on doing the strategic work. There's no-one but yourself to set the agenda and to make the leaps of faith necessary to navigate the new terrain. As I said, I was suddenly flung against my own inadequacies, but I realize, that's where the growth is! This is where I really start to discover where I'm at in my entrepreneurial journey.

One thing is certain to me however. Without the insights I gained from the Gerber perspective, I wouldn't have even started it. Thanks.

Submitted Jul 18, 2008 10:23 PM
Katherine M. says:

I am in a service industry small business with one part time employee. (who is pregnant)! I have been in this business for 9 years, and am the sole provider for my family of 3 children. I would like nothing better than to follow this insurance agent and step back and become the Business Owner. This takes a lot of guts and posibility a bit of downturn in turnover to start with,and of course I would need more staff. This is where my problem is..I need the reliable qualified staff and there doesn't seem to be any out there. In my industry we have a shortage of qualified persons, and the younger ones don't seem to have the work ethic these days to start at the bottom and work their way up. believe me I've had a procession of them thur my business. Employees, given a ownership of the business and goals with rewards that excite them usually rise to the occasion and surprise us. Just let me find a few more please.

I have done the first 4 modules of the e-myth programm and have all the systems in place, I have found too that you never stop writing -adding and improving these systems,

I have managed at times to be able to step away for a few days, however just give me the chance and I'll take that 6 weeks and yes I believe I just could become the business owner I want to be and yes I do believe my life would change for the better,( my children would get a big shock they are not use to me being home during the day!)

Without having read Micheal's books and without having done the modules I have done my business and I may not have lasted this long, so Thanks to e-Myth I have stayed on track and am determined to soon become the manager of my business and to start living my life for me and not the business.

Submitted Jul 19, 2008 12:28 AM
JOSEPH O. says:

After reading this article I felt weak.This is because after attending the two day intensive course since Jan. 2008 i am yet to start anything.

I think it is time for me to begin again. I have seen that without a system in place all others cannot follow. The fault is mine and I am ready now to start afresh. God please help me.

Submitted Jul 19, 2008 4:48 AM
Dausen T. says:

This is a real nerve stricking story.. I and my partner started a small construction company in 1995..today it has grown and classidied as class 1 in our country..however despite having employed more tha ten professional staff we are still busy with technician works..we alway feel if one of us is not in the office things wont move.. The major issue is to have serious employees who can do what we are doing daily..

we are now busy preparing accounting system.. but have not completed the technical system..I think time has come to try to leave the office and see what will happen if none of us is not in office..

Iam very hapy with the idea of jotting down what we do daily and create a system for other to use..

This I will start immediatelly.

Submitted Jul 19, 2008 5:09 AM
Scott G. says:

I am currently a small business owner (Offering Technology Services for Small Businesses), on my second run at owning a business... Many years ago, I had a small business and became the classic example of "The E-Myth". The business ran my life, because I continually made the mistake of trying to be superman. Eventually, I closed the doors and decided to go back into the safety of being an employee (fooling myself). For many years, I continued to make excuses for closing the business. I would say things like "It is too hard to build a business on a shoestring!", or "I just don't have the money to hire all of the needed people". And yes, I even said, "There just aren't any good technicians available!"

About four years ago. I came full circle in my life, and once again found myself broaching the taboo subject of starting my own business again. Not wanting to make the same mistakes again. I decided to analyze what those mistakes were and research solutions before I began. Through my conversations with both successful and struggling business owners, I was referred to this book! Thoroughly sceptical, I purchased "The E-Myth Revisited". I began reading on a thursday night, and got about 20-30 pages in. The next day I found myself excited to get home and read this book. Actually, I coud not set it down and read through the night. This was the "MAGIC BULLET", I had been looking for. And I decided that weekend, to go ahead and start the business and try to follow the spirit and advice found inside this book.

Today, after reading this blog and refining some of my dynamic process documentation. I am realizing how far I have come with the business and who really should get some major credit to my success.

I would like to take a moment and speak to the readers who find it hard to work on the process of "Not working in your business". This whole concept really can work. And no, you don't need a lot of money to build your business under this model. What you need is a lot of patience... Begin by building your documented processes of only one portion of your business at a time. One mistake I made repeatedly, was that I tried to document everything in one sitting, and then got frustrated that my new employee didn't have everything they needed to take over that role. If you concentrate on one job, role or task at a time, and then turn it over to a contractor, employee, or other third party. You will find that you will reap the "WIN" that you are looking for. Once you see a little more free time from truly implimenting a few of these processes, you will then have time to create more processes. This is where patience comes in, at this point most people ge frustrated because they look at their long list of processes, procedures, and other documentation and realize that this could take forever.

Four years after I started this journey through the challenge from Michael Gerber's book. I feel like I see the light at the end of the tunnel. Keep in mind that no one is telling you to completely walk away from your business. What Mr. Gerber is challenging you to do is look at your business differently, and break it down into manageable pieces. When you look at it this way, you will find that some pieces can be offloaded immediately, and other pieces may require your hands to be on it a little longer.

Submitted Jul 19, 2008 8:38 AM
Valerie B. says:

Wow. I wish I had the nerve to go from 100 to 0 mph. I'm just doing baby steps. I recently hired a Virtual Receptionist who is wonderful. There have been a few mistakes but I was already making mistakes from being too overwhelmed by too many tasks. Now I don't have to return clients' calls, enter their data, schedule their appointments, etc. The first day I turned my beloved Crackberry off and it went silent for the first time ever I was SO uncomfortable; literally craving a 'fix'. I had sworn not to check email/voicemail until noon and it was really hard but by that afternoon I felt like I had gained 2 extra hours in my day. I'm already coming up with some great strategic ideas but I need to fix my broken systems first.

Submitted Jul 19, 2008 9:59 AM
Troy S. says:

I am responding from a different angle......I am literally a technician working for a business owner who is also a technician! I work for a commercial contracting company that delivers service and repair to restaurants, bars and other related facilities. I have been doing this for one year at this current company. I have a hard time imagining doing it for more than another year or two because of my boss' micromanaging control freak technician mentality. I am in the process of earning a business management degree and am also reading (in my spare time) Mr. Gerber's books. It all started with "The E-Myth Contractor".......that has had me fascinated with how truly successful contractors do what they do. I am still young and glad that I am learning this now rather than later. Mr. Gerber said on page 49 of "The E-Myth Contractor" that "Great managers are fascinated with how things get done. They are masters at figuring out how to get things done effectively and efficiently." That statement defines what I see in myself as a future owner/manager. Not someone who is criticizing his workers on why they did not do it this way or that way but developing a system of how things can get done without all kinds of childish emotion and bad attitude.

So, with all of that stated, I think more workers (technicians) like myself should start getting more involved in this process of business. That way, the future will be full of great managers and not just business owners driving themselves crazy thinking they have to do everything themselves......after all.....they have no one to blame but themselves.....because there is a better way!

Submitted Jul 20, 2008 6:08 AM
Karen C. says:

I understand 'the technician', but if you are a creative person ie people purchase 'your' designs and illustrations or talent, then it's very hard to apply the principles. The business is dependent on the person's own creative talent as that's what the customer likes - their style etc. This is where I get bogged down and I have been working for myself solo over 20 years. I've actually been trying to reduce my hours so instead of 7 days it becomes 4 days and not so dependent on weekly deadlines. There is not enough paperwork to employ anyone. I wish there was more written to help solo creatives.

Submitted Jul 20, 2008 5:05 PM
Cecilia L. says:

This article is the first thing I read today. It is like God is screaming at me to pay attention, telling me to do something, but not the things I am doing right now. I am feeling so overwhelming for half a year now, having trying to spend everyday doing stuff! Difficult clients seem to be even more difficult now, I am behind on paying all my bills and having hard time catching up with my book, getting behind in all my phone calls and emails, especially I have been sick since the beginning of this year. I guess that really makes me think. Even worst, because I am sick, I try so hard everyday to see if I can get the business running and sustain itself so I can relax, but the more I think about it the more stuff I need to do. I need more clients, sign more contracts (I run two business, an IT consulting firm and a start up web-based business) and hire more people, but that gives me more work than ever! I felt so sick this morning so I came into the office late. This article is like a punch in my face, trying so hard to wake me up. I guess it is truely time to retire myself for at least a few days to think things through, no matter how uncomfortable I feel about walking away from the business for just a few days.

Submitted Jul 21, 2008 8:08 AM
Dave F. says:

I like being a technician and I'm happy that I created my own job instead of working for someone else.

However my technical work is physically demanding, and I would like to be rich so I have come to the conclusion that there are other business opportunities that I've seen out of my field that I would like to start.

That way I think I'll avoid the dilema of wanting to be the hands on technical guy.

Submitted Jul 21, 2008 9:52 AM
Mike L. says:

Since the beginning of the year we have been doing exactly what you talk about. I'd love to spend the six weeks but sometimes that just doesn't happen.

I kind of put myself in an odd position within this business. Rather than being addicted, I started out by just wanting to do the jobs. Figured initially that learning them would be the best way to learn to grow (definitely a huge mistake). After awhile (we have been in business for 17 years) I wanted out. And still want out. At least out from under the technical work. I love working ON the business but can't replace certain aspects of what I do.

At the same time, yes, I do have a partner, my wife, who digs in every single time we discuss the technical parts of this thing. Her job is accounting. She wants to be there, doesn't trust that we'll ever find that bookkeeper, wants to stick it out and carries everything in her head.

So we continue to labor. And work. And once in awhile, actually do get to see the forest. Little lights start flashing on. And then the trees grow again. But you know, we are making progress a little step at a time. Each one is painful and I do know that we still can't just walk out the door any particular day and do planning. But I suppose that is exactly what keeps us trying.

Submitted Jul 21, 2008 10:05 AM
Jennifer M. says:

It has taken us (me) 5 years to become fully out of the technician role. This year we went to New Zealand for 4 weeks. And all of our best laid plans went awry. the biggest lesson was its not going to go perfect while you are gone... but the staff of 5 still did well dealing witha miscarriage a deatha nd one employee that needed to be fired (which we did on the second day back).

Once we accepted they are going to make mistakes but they arent going to break the bank we sat back and enjoyed the time away.

I am now working 9-3 for the summer to spend time with my children and guess what... the business doesnt miss me! They figure it out without me. what a humbling experieince to empower the staff and watch them grow to be better than I am in alot of cases. In fact they dont want my help in the technical side anymore. Its like when your mom asked you to do the dishes and you do them terrible so she stops asking for your help :-)

I fell at loose ends allot now as I redefine my prioroties. I see everyone working away and feel like if I dont feel busy then I am not working. And it is too easy to slip back and pick up some technican roles to keep busy. But then I am shortchanging the business and not working toward my goals.

It's worth the pain and the struggle. There are diamonds in the rough for employees out there. We have all under 25' year olds running our demanding B2B shop while we out of the country. They need a diff leadership style and managment, Above all RESPECT and FAITH.

Submitted Jul 21, 2008 12:28 PM

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