“Management is doing things right, Leadership is doing the right things.” -Peter Drucker
BD is the key to growth.
No, I’m not talking about Business Development. I am talking about Better Delegation.
Yes, delegation. The art of having someone else do something for you.
Sounds easy, right? Maybe.
I have been dealing with delegation my entire life. Mostly in organizations where I was either the “doer” or I was the “leader”. Growing up, I had chores. What started out as “helping” my Dad blow leaves or mow the lawn became him telling me “mow the lawn”. I would execute just as I had learned – angled lines and all. As a freshman on the swim team, I was the doer. A senior on the team would say “plebes get the lane lines in” and us plebes would jump in the pool and execute a task we had done all of our lives in the sport of swimming. Eventually, I was the senior, repeating the order and plebes were repeating the task. Even as a Platoon Leader in Iraq, I was handed a mission set, and with a talented, professionally trained team of 30 Soldiers, we would execute missions – day in and day out. I would delegate to the Platoon Sergeant and Squad Leaders who would delegate to their team leaders and eventually down to their Soldiers. But somewhere between mowing lawns, leading combat patrols and today, the “tasks” became a little more complex.
Maybe it’s because the tasks weren’t tasks. They are stated as a problem…”a complaint” or “a vision” or a “what if” or a “future risk” or “desired outcome”. That’s not a task at all, that’s a project. In the knowledge worker age we are constantly dealing with new problems and projects not repeatable tasks. And on top of that, as a small business, we are trying to lead, manage, “sell” and do. It’s a lot and it’s just “easier to do it myself”. Even if “myself” is over-tasked and over-worked.
Last week, I recommended the Delegate and Elevate tool. This week, I am recommending you take a look at this Delegation tool from Michael Hyatt & Co.
This tool might be the first step in defining a project or a new job description. Or it might just clear up why your team is underperforming.
And while Business Development is important, I guarantee Better Delegation is more critical to your growth – as an individual, a leader and an organization.
Got a hot project to delegate? We can help.
BJ Kraemer, President