Recently I asked several clients, “What is the biggest problem you are struggling with?” Several said budget cuts have meant less staff and recruiting is difficult. Many parks have lost funding for staff. This is also a familiar problem in the small business world. We want to hire more staff than our resources will allow and competing for the best staff is challenging. Additionally, there is a tendency to hire more than you really need. I’ve been jokingly told to eliminate waste and to purposely not hire enough people.

I recently read the book Rework. It suggests asking these questions: What if we didn’t hire anyone? Is that extra work that’s burdening us really necessary? Can we solve the problem with a slice of software or a change of practice instead? What if we just don’t do it? It says you’ll often discover you don’t need as many people as you think.

Dan Pink suggests that what really drives people is not money, but autonomy, mastery and purpose. I know when we have decided not to hire we came up with new ideas. It caused us to be more innovative. It’s also an opportunity to look at the evolving market place and prioritize your work to meet the demands. It can be the kick in the butt you need. Complacency leads to failure. Peter Drucker talks of:

1. Abandonment of the things that do not work, the things that have never worked, the things that have outlived their usefulness and their capacity to contribute.

2. Concentration on the things that do work, the things that produce results, the things that improve the organizations’ ability to perform.

What if not having enough staff makes you better, challenges you more and generates new ideas to make your organization better. Maybe it will lead you to learning how to do more in less time. I’ve recently taken over leading our marketing effort and it’s been really exciting. I realized I can get it done on top of all my other responsibilities. I’ve learned new skills, come up with new ideas and find it very rewarding. Marketing has changed drastically in the last five years. I’ve now got my finger on the pulse of how to change what we do as the economy evolves. How exciting! You can do that, too!

Ideas for Museums and Parks with Less Staff

• Only do what’s most important and produces results, let the rest go.

• Improve your leadership and management.

• Recruit more volunteers and sell your purpose and challenge.

• Create the best culture for recruiting and retention.

• Cut out waste (cut costs).

• Improve your fundraising or your foundation’s.

• Change your board to include people to help you analyze these things.

• Innovate and evolve.

• Recruit more support from your community.

• Team up with unlikely partners, for nature sites maybe that’s your hospital.

• Investigate how others have been successful in your field.

• Evaluate processes and eliminate unnecessary ones.

• Cross train.

• Outsource.

If these are successfully implemented maybe you will be on the road to hire soon. Please share what you have done with less staff?

The wisdom of life consists in the elimination of non-essentials.

– Lin Yutang

Discipline equals freedom.

– Jocko Willink