This week’s focus:
Making time so that you can do YOUR job
For the last couple of weeks I have been sharing with you some crucial perspectives that hopefully have helped you to manage your time better.
In addition to the maladies discussed in those Memos, many of my clients find delegating incredibly challenging. They seem to say one of two things (in fact, often they say both): “I spend all day doing everyone else’s job which means I have to work really long hours to fit my job in” and (their reason) “I am the only one that can do these things right the first time”. The latter, by the way, is called the Myth of Omnipotence – and if we can accept that only God can be omnipotent, then you will understand that it is indeed a myth!
There are only two laws to remember:
- The Golden Law of Delegation states that everything must be delegated to the lowest level of competence – so, if there is someone below you who is capable of, or capable of learning to, do the task, it must go to them (with proper and full instructions); and
- The Golden Law of Re-Delegation states that if someone tries to re-delegate to you something you delegated to them (“I am really battling with that thing you gave me to do), you DO NOT TAKE IT BACK (“Don’t worry, give it to me, I’ll do it!”). Only one exception: if you didn’t apply your mind properly to the law of delegation and abdicated (not delegated) in favour of someone not competent – and then take it back and delegate it properly to the correct lowest level of competence.
The more you make these two laws non-negotiable in your life, the more you will be able to get on with your own job during working hours! And the better your people will get at doing theirs!
Monday Morning Perspective: “The inability to delegate is one of the biggest problems I see with managers at all levels.” – Eli Broad
Kind regards,
Lauron
