Plus 10 elements for your staff guidelines.
By Jackie Meyer
The Balanced Millionaire: Advisor Edition
Hiring someone is just the beginning. What you do after they join is what truly determines whether you get the benefits of having a team.
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Many entrepreneurs struggle with letting go of control. It’s natural – this practice is your baby! But micromanaging or failing to properly delegate will squander your investment in a new hire and frustrate both of you. Here’s how to build a team that actually lightens your load:
- Delegate Effectively: Delegation is not throwing a task over the fence and hoping for the best. It involves clear instructions, the right resources and appropriate authority given. When you delegate, be explicit about the outcome you expect, any important parameters, and deadlines. For example: “Please reconcile Client X’s bank accounts for September and October and note any discrepancies or unusual items for my review by Friday.” Provide context too: “They had an issue last month with a missing deposit, so keep an eye out for that.” As your team member proves themselves, you can delegate in broader strokes. Early on, check in periodically (but try not to hover). Think of delegation as a skill you practice – you’ll get better at it over time.
- Trust Your Team: This is huge. If you’ve hired carefully, you must give your team members the space to do their work. Constantly second-guessing or redoing their work “because I do it better” is a recipe for burnout (yours and theirs). Accept that people will do things differently than you, and that’s okay as long as the end result is good. If you assign a task, assume it will be done unless you hear otherwise. Use project management tools to keep visibility if needed, but avoid peppering them with “Did you do this yet?” emails. Trust is also felt by the employee – when they feel trusted, they take more ownership.
- Empower Decision-Making: Empowerment goes hand in hand with trust. Encourage team members to take initiative and make decisions within their realm. Maybe your new admin can decide the best way to organize the digital files – let them run with it. Or your staff accountant can decide when to ask a client for missing info versus trying alternative ways to find the answer. Let them know they don’t need to ask permission for every little thing, and that you welcome their judgment calls. Of course, set some boundaries (e.g., “Always double-check with me before sending something to a client the first few times” or “You can approve expenses up to $100 on your own, over that, loop me in”). The message should be: “I trust your abilities; you have authority to act in these areas; and if you’re unsure, I’m here to back you up.”
- Provide Feedback and Recognition: Especially early on, give feedback regularly. People actually crave feedback when they start a new role because they want to know if they’re meeting expectations. If something isn’t quite how you want it, coach them. Say a tax preparer makes an assumption in a return that’s not what you’d do – instead of just fixing it, explain: “I noticed you allocated all of the home internet to the home office deduction. I usually ask the client to estimate a percentage used for business vs. personal. Let’s adjust that and next time you can remember to get that detail.” They learn and do better next time. Conversely, when they knock it out of the park, recognize it. “Great job catching that error in the prior year’s return – that saved a lot of headache. Really appreciate your attention to detail.” A little praise goes a long way toward building confidence and loyalty.
- Foster Open Communication: Create an environment where team members feel comfortable bringing up challenges or ideas. Maybe have a brief team huddle each week where everyone can share what they’re working on and raise any concerns. When someone admits a mistake or says, “I’m struggling with this,” respond supportively, not punitively. If you’re approachable about issues, you’ll hear about small problems before they become big ones. Also, invite input: ask “What do you think?” when making decisions that affect their work. Sometimes your team will see a solution you overlooked. Open communication builds trust both ways.
Remember, the ultimate goal is to build a self-sufficient team that can operate many aspects of the business without your direct involvement in every decision. This frees you up to do only the highest-level tasks (or to actually take time off). It also creates resilience – if you need to step away because of, say, a family emergency, the team can keep things running.
Empowering others can feel risky at first, but it’s the only way to multiply your capacity. As leadership guru John Maxwell says, “If someone else can do a task 80 percent as well as you can, delegate it.” I’d tweak that: if a new person can start at 80 percent, with your mentorship they might soon do it 120 percent as well as you, because they can focus on it more than you could as a multitasking owner.
Building that trust takes a bit of time and maybe some trial and error with delegation, but once it clicks, you’ll wonder how you ever managed alone.
Creating Staff Guidelines
Just as you set expectations with clients, it’s important to set clear expectations and guidelines for your team. Staff guidelines (or an employee handbook, on a smaller scale) document how your team operates day to day, what the norms and policies are, and what values guide decisions. This doesn’t have to be a stiff corporate manual; it can be a concise, living document that helps ensure everyone is on the same page.
Key elements to include in your staff guidelines:
- Core Values: Reiterate your firm’s core values (integrity, excellence, client-first, etc.) and discuss how those translate into daily behaviors. For example, if one value is “integrity,” the guideline might state that all team members are expected to be honest and transparent, own up to mistakes, and do what’s right for the client even when no one is watching. This sets the tone for culture.
- Work Hours and Availability: Clarify expectations around work schedules. If you offer flexible hours or remote work, outline how that works (e.g., “We’re flexible with start/end times, but everyone should be available for client or team communications between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. CST,” or “During tax season, Saturday mornings may be required; we compensate with extra PTO after April 15”). If overtime or weekend work happens, note how that’s handled (comp time? bonus? expectation as part of salary?). Clarity here prevents resentment or confusion.
- Communication Protocols: If you established communication norms (like priority codes or using Slack vs. email for internal stuff), put it in the guidelines. E.g., “All client emails should be responded to within one business day, even if just to acknowledge and set a later time for a detailed response.” Or “Urgent client matters should be flagged according to our (E), (U), (NU) system. Team members should keep notifications on for truly urgent tagged messages.” Also cover internal communication: maybe “Use our team Slack for quick questions; use Asana to comment on specific tasks; minimize internal email.”
- Confidentiality and Security: This is huge in our field. Clearly state the confidentiality obligations (maybe have them sign a separate NDA, if applicable). “Client data must be protected. No client documents or information may be shared outside the firm, and care should be taken even within the firm to only discuss client matters with those who need to know.” Also mention basic security protocols: “Use strong passwords and the approved password manager; don’t click unknown links; lock your computer when away; never remove physical files from the office without permission,” etc. Many small firms skip writing this down, but it’s important.
- Use of Technology and Software: Provide guidance on how team members should use firm software and systems. For example, “All client documents must be saved in the XYZ portal or the designated Google Drive folder – never on a personal device. Use only your firm email for client communications (no texting clients on your personal phone without authorization).” Also mention if they’re allowed to install apps or if IT is managed centrally, etc. If you provide devices, note the policies around those.
- Task Management and Deadlines: Lay out how work is assigned and tracked (e.g., “We use Asana to assign tasks and deadlines. It is each team member’s responsibility to check Asana daily and manage their tasks. If you feel you cannot meet a deadline, communicate that at the earliest opportunity so we can adjust.”). Encourage the practice of setting internal deadlines a bit ahead of actual due dates to allow buffer (if that’s something you do).
- Problem-Solving and Escalation: Encourage initiative but also clarify when to escalate issues. For instance, “If you run into an issue with a client’s work that you’re not sure how to handle, spend up to 30 minutes researching/attempting a solution. If you’re still stuck, ask a team member or bring it to me. Always feel free to speak up if you need help; we succeed as a team.” Also, for client problems: “If a client is unhappy or if you realize we’ve made an error, inform [the owner/manager] immediately so we can strategize on a resolution.”
- Performance Expectations: This can be a brief section noting that quality of work, professionalism and adherence to these guidelines are expected, and how performance will be evaluated (formal review? ongoing feedback?). You might mention key metrics if relevant (like turnaround time for projects, client satisfaction, accuracy rates, etc.). Setting some measurable expectations gives people targets to aim for.
- Professional Development: If you support or expect ongoing learning, note that. E.g., “All professional staff are encouraged to obtain at least 40 hours of CPE per year. The firm will cover costs for approved training or certification programs. We have a quarterly ‘lunch and learn’ where team members can share new insights.” This signals that growth is valued.
- 90-Day Trial Period: It can be useful to have a probationary period for new hires (many firms do 90 days). In your guidelines, you can state: “New hires will undergo a 90-day introductory period. This is a time for us to ensure it’s a good fit for both you and the firm. We will have a review discussion at the end of 90 days to provide feedback and decide on continued employment. During this period, either party can terminate employment if it’s not working out.” Having this spelled out sets a clear checkpoint and can reduce the anxiety of both you and the employee because there’s an agreed trial window. Determine what success looks like after 90 days. This can be really difficult for a firm owner or manager to determine, but oh so detrimental if you aren’t on the same page. ChatGPT is great at coming up with role matrices and KPIs!
Keep the tone of guidelines positive and supportive, not just a list of “thou shalt not.” It should feel like “we’re all agreeing to operate in this effective way together.” Also, make sure you follow your own guidelines! Consistency in applying these builds trust (if you say flexible hours but then chastise someone for coming in at 10 one day, that breaks trust).
It might feel like overkill when you’re a team of two or three, but establishing these norms early is much easier than correcting unwritten rules later when you’re a team of 10 and things have gotten lax or inconsistent. Even just a simple Google Doc shared with the team can serve as your guideline doc – and you can update it as you grow or as new situations prompt changes.
Example: Key Snippets from a Staff Guidelines Document
- Core Value – Integrity: “We do the right thing, even when no one is watching. This means being honest with clients about mistakes, being truthful in all documentation and supporting each other in maintaining the highest ethical standards.”
- Communication: “Respond to all client emails within 24 hours on weekdays. Even if you don’t have an answer yet, acknowledge receipt and let them know when you’ll follow up. Use ‘(E), (U), (NU), (EOD)’ tags in email subjects as appropriate to prioritize. Internally, we prefer Slack for quick chats – try to keep emails for external communication or longer discussions.”
- Use of Software: “All tax returns are prepared using [Software Name] and saved in the client’s folder on the shared drive. Workpapers should be clearly labeled. Use our secure portal for exchanging files with clients; never email sensitive attachments. If a client insists on texting documents, inform them of the risk and save them to the portal as soon as possible.”
- Task Management: “Each client engagement has a task checklist in Asana. If you’re assigned a task, please either complete it by the due date or, if you foresee a delay, communicate in Asana by commenting and tagging the manager. Check off tasks when done and add notes for any key findings or issues encountered.”
- 90-Day Trial Period: “All new team members join on a 90-day introductory period. During this time, you’ll receive frequent feedback. At 90 days, we’ll formally review your performance and fit with the team. This period is also for you to evaluate if our firm meets your expectations. We find that open communication during these first three months sets us both up for long-term success.”
Creating and sharing such guidelines helps cultivate an environment of clarity and fairness. It reduces the chance of misunderstandings (“Oh, I didn’t know we weren’t supposed to use Dropbox for client files” – now they will know). And when everyone follows common guidelines, the firm runs more smoothly, like a well-choreographed team sport rather than a pickup game.