This post was sparked by a new client I recently started working with because from the start, it became really clear that the issue was not that she had a bad team. The issue was that she simply did not have the time or capacity to properly manage and support them. And some of you may be struggling with supporting your team too. It could be a VA, associate dietitians, admin support, or even a small team.
And once you hire and start to delegate, managing people becomes part of the job. But for many nutrition business owners, there is no extra time magically created to actually do that well.
So things get missed. Communication becomes patchy. Tasks can sit with different people without anyone knowing who is doing what. And you’re the one holding everything together mentally while trying to juggle client work, emails, decision-making, and the wider demands of the business.
So here are 5 common problems I see with my personal solutions to what I would do to fix them as an OBM for nutrition business owners.
1. The problem: You’re managing your team from too many places
One of the quickest ways for team communication to become messy is when it is happening across too many platforms.
This often looks like:
- You checking emails, WhatsApp, and your task manager just to piece together one conversation
- Team members replying in different places depending on what feels easiest to them
- Important updates getting buried or forgotten
- You feeling like you have to constantly keep tabs on everything yourself
How I’d fix it
I would simplify communication and create much clearer boundaries around where different types of updates should happen.
- Set clear communication rules for the team
I’d decide which platform is used for what, for example task updates in your project management tool, quick questions that need a more urgent response in WhatsApp, and formal communication by email.
- Move task-related communication into one place
If a team member has a question about a task, project, or deadline, I’d make sure that conversation stays attached to the task itself rather than being spread across different channels.
- Communicate this to the team clearly
Do not assume everyone will naturally work this way. Let them know what channel to use for what, and remind them as needed until it becomes part of how the team operates.
2. The problem: Everything is living in your head
If you are the person remembering every detail, every next step, every process, and every deadline, your business is relying far too much on you.
This often looks like:
- Team members asking you the same questions repeatedly
- Tasks being done differently by different people
- Delays because someone is waiting for your input
- Panic when someone is off sick or unavailable
This is exhausting for you, and it also makes it harder for your team to work confidently and independently. A lot of nutrition business owners do this without realising. They are used to being the one who just knows how everything works. But once the business grows, that stops being sustainable.
How I’d fix it
I would start taking recurring knowledge out of your head and turning it into simple systems your team can actually use.
- Identify the tasks that create the most repeated questions or confusion
That might be onboarding, client admin or content creation. I’d start with the areas that are already causing friction.
- Create simple SOPs, checklists, templates and workflows
Nothing fancy. Just practical step-by-step guidance so your team knows how to complete tasks consistently without always coming back to you.
- Organise these documents in one accessible place
I’d make sure your team knows where these documents live, how to access them, and how to use them.
This is one of those things that actually takes a bit of effort upfront but saves you so much time, decision fatigue, and repeated explaining later.
3. The problem: Expectations are too vague
So many business owners think they have delegated clearly when actually they have only delegated quickly. The team member makes a start. But the deadline was unclear, the level of detail was unclear, and nobody defined what a good outcome actually looked like.
This often looks like:
- A task being handed over in a rushed message with very little context
- A team member making assumptions because they are not fully clear on what you want
- Work coming back that misses the mark, even though the person did try
- You feeling frustrated that you have to keep correcting or re-explaining things
This is such a common one, especially when you are busy and trying to delegate on the go. But vague delegation nearly always creates more work later.
How I’d fix it
I would tighten up how work is assigned so your team has much more clarity from the outset.
- Clarify the outcome before work starts
I’d make sure the team member knows exactly what needs to be done, what the end result should look like, and what “done” means for that specific task.
- Set realistic deadlines and check-in points
Rather than vague timing, I’d put proper deadlines in place and, where needed, a midway review point so issues can be picked up early.
- Define what needs approval and what doesn’t
This helps your team know when they can move ahead independently and when they should check in first, which cuts down on hesitation and unnecessary back-and-forth.
There’s an art to mastering delegation, and if you use my 5 step delegation process, you’ll thank me, I promise!
4. The problem: You only find out about issues once something has gone wrong
Without regular check-ins, team communication becomes reactive. This is where team management starts to feel stressful and unpredictable. Many nutrition business owners avoid regular check-ins because they do not want to add more meetings to the week. But without them, there is often no real rhythm for communication, support, or accountability.
This often looks like:
- You only hearing about problems once they are already affecting deadlines or delivery
- Team members sitting with problems for too long without raising them
- Someone feeling overwhelmed but not mentioning it until things start slipping
- You constantly feeling like you are reacting to problems instead of staying ahead of them
Without regular opportunities to talk things through, small issues can stay hidden until they become much bigger ones.
How I’d fix it
I would introduce simple regular check-ins so issues are picked up early instead of turning into bigger problems.
1. Create a regular check-in schedule
This could be weekly, fortnightly or monthly depending on the team, but the key is consistency so everyone knows there is a set space to raise issues and share progress.
2. Keep the agenda simple and focused
I’d use check-ins to review priorities, blockers, deadlines, and support needed rather than letting meetings drift into vague chat.
3. Create a safe space for honest communication
I’d make it clear that check-ins are not just for task updates. They are a space where team members can say if they are overwhelmed, confused, behind, or need support without worrying they are being judged. Because the more honest your team feels able to be, the easier it is to fix problems before they escalate.
5. The problem: You do not have enough time to manage and support your team properly
This is often the point where nutrition business owners try to convince themselves they just need to be a bit more organised. But when you are growing and you start to have a team, it requires real time, real oversight, and real operational support – and you likely do not have the capacity to keep adding that onto your own plate.
This often looks like:
- You squeezing team management into gaps between client work and admin
- Questions from the team sitting unanswered because you simply do not have time to answer them
- You feeling like you are constantly chasing, checking, and reacting
- The business still depending on you to hold all the threads, despite having a team
And honestly, there comes a point where there is really only one solution here if you do not want to end up burnt out.
You need an OBM.
Not another pair of hands to do random tasks. Not more people to manage.
You need someone whose role is to bring structure, oversight, support, and operational leadership to the business. Because once your team reaches this stage, the problem is no longer just “too much to do”. The problem is that the business now needs managing properly behind the scenes.
How I’d fix it
I would step in as the OBM and take ownership of the operational side of team management, so you are no longer trying to lead, manage, support, and oversee everything on top of your existing role as business owner.
3 action steps
1. I would take team management off your mental load
I’d help oversee the day-to-day moving parts of the team, including communication, follow-up, task visibility, deadlines, and making sure things do not quietly fall through the cracks.
2. I would put the structure in place that your growing business now needs
That might include improving workflows, setting up better systems, clarifying responsibilities, documenting processes, and creating more consistency in how the team operates.
3. I would create the space for you to get out of constant reactive mode
Instead of trying to hold everything together yourself, you would have someone supporting the business behind the scenes so you can focus on your actual role, without heading towards burnout.
Final thoughts
If team management has started to feel messy, reactive, or far more draining than it should, it does not mean you have the wrong team. More often, it means the business has grown and the structure behind it has not caught up yet. That is such a normal stage to reach.
The answer is not to keep holding more in your head or trying to manage your team in the gaps between everything else. It is to put better systems, clearer expectations, stronger communication, and proper support in place.
And sometimes, that support looks like bringing in an OBM.
Because if you already have a team but it still feels like everything depends on you, the problem may not be that you need more hands. It may be that you need someone to help manage the moving parts behind the scenes.
That is exactly where I come in.
If any of this resonates and you need some support with any of these problems, book a free 30 minute discovery call with me to see how I can support you and your nutrition business.
