The Hidden Cost of Your Best People Doing Everything

Jonas Mulombwa faced a challenge that's practically inevitable in growing businesses.

His operations manager was exceptional at her role. So when accounts work needed handling, the logical choice was clear: delegate to his most capable person.

The unintended consequence? Role dilution.

"We had one staff member serving as operations manager who also handled accounts work," Jonas explains. Since they weren't originally hired for accounts, they had to spend considerable time on financial tasks, which naturally reduced the time they could dedicate to their primary operations role.

This is the natural evolution challenge in growing businesses: high performers get pulled into multiple roles precisely because they excel.
 

The Real Cost of Role Dilution

Here's what Jonas discovered: When you stretch exceptional people across multiple disciplines, you don't get efficiency - you get capacity constraints.

His operations manager couldn't focus on streamlining operations because account queries constantly interrupted her workflow. Financial matters would derail operational improvements mid-stream.

The result? Neither role was being performed at full potential.

Jonas Mulombwa - Managing Director

Why Jonas's Initial Concerns About Virtual Assistants Made Perfect Sense

As a Managing Director, Jonas approached virtual assistants with appropriate due diligence, and his concerns were completely valid:

"Initially, this was a very new concept for us. One thing that comes to mind is the time difference between Australia and wherever the virtual assistant was going to be placed."

But here's what Jonas discovered through experience: "There's only probably a 2-3 hour time difference, so which is not a lot. We have a two-hour gap between the eastern and western states, so that's no brainer."

The time difference that seemed like a potential obstacle? Turned out to be less disruptive than coordinating teams across Australian time zones.

The Strategic Solution: Role Clarity Through Specialisation

Once Jonas implemented a dedicated virtual accounts assistant, the transformation was immediate:

Operational Impact:

• Operations manager could focus entirely on actual operations
• Dedicated pathway for all accounts-related concerns
• Issues addressed immediately instead of being queued
• Streamlined workflows across both functions

Jonas's assessment: "Now we've got somebody who's dedicated for the role they are performing, and this has freed a lot of time for the operations manager to be able to do her thing."

The Three Strategic Benefits Jonas Gained

1. Cost Optimisation Beyond Salary "Largely the benefit has been the cost that we've had to save" - but the real value was maximising existing talent investment.

2. Response Time Acceleration "You press an issue, it's attended to and looked into ASAP" - no more workflow interruptions or task-switching delays.

3. Role Excellence Through Focus Each person could finally excel in their core competency instead of being stretched across multiple disciplines.

Jonas's Strategic Conclusion

"VAs are a no-brainer. They are a cost-saving sort of exercise, they are effective in their duties, they are a must-have for any business."

This endorsement comes from a Managing Director who approached the decision with appropriate caution and strategic thinking.

The deeper insight: Jonas didn't just hire a VA to reduce costs. He hired one to optimise his existing team's potential.

The Strategic Question for Your Business

Jonas's transformation isn't just about virtual assistants. It's about strategic role design and capacity optimisation.

Consider: Which of your high-performers are being diluted by tasks outside their core expertise? Where is role confusion limiting your team's potential impact?

That's where strategic transformation begins.

Ready to Optimise Your Team's Capacity?

If Jonas's experience resonates with your situation, let's explore how strategic role clarity could transform your operations. I'll help you identify where capacity constraints are limiting growth and show you how to architect solutions that maximise your team's potential.

👉 Book your Strategic Discovery Call

Director, Virtual Team Connect 
CPA | Graduate, Australian Institute of Company Directors