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MenuHow do I manage how munch work I am giving to myself and how much I'm delegating?
I'm a President/CEO of a small company that's growing like a weed. I've delegated effectively and often find myself coming up with a new idea and delegating it. At times I run out of important things to do in my workday. Yes, the free time gives me time to think strategically - but I feel guilty.
I don't want to feel guilty, but truly understand that I'm still getting things done, just through others.
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Congratulations on delegating so effectively! That is most likely one of the KEY factors in your growth. Too many of us fall into thinking "how can I do that" when we come up with new ideas. A billionaire mentor told me that the better question (and how she grew her businesses to well over a billion) was "who can do that"! Let your ideas flow, and keep giving them away. You are creating work for others, which is a huge contribution to society. Start looking at what is actually being accomplished as a result of all your ideas, and all your delegation, vs what you are actually "doing".
All of my clients experience huge leaps in growth when they start delegating, and the growth is not incremental - it is usually exponential. And each struggles a bit with the guilt you mention - at least initially. But you quickly recognize that, as you said, it frees you to up think more strategically and creatively.
Feel free to reach out if you have follow up questions.
Best of luck in your continued success.
Congraluations! If you are able to delegate and find time to be strategic, you ARE doing your jobs. Most startups have trouble getting past their initial success because the founder feels they need to do all the work and make every decision. If you trust your team and can delegate effectively, then you've got a great team and you should focus on vision and strategy.
If you delegate and trust your team to do things, then not only are you happy you get to think strategically, but your team will be more motivated.
I'll add two caveats. I'm assuming that you are developing strategic ideas for your team to implement, and giving them some freedom on how to accomplish your strategy or objective. If you are simply handing out tasks, then micromanaging to make sure they are done your way, then that's not really delegation. That's direction.
Second, if you are constantly coming up with new ideas and asking the team to implement--which pulls them away from the core strategy--then you are in danger of not fulfilling your overall mission no matter how cool each of the new ideas is.
But, if you are focused on the long-term strategy, and working on ideas to get there--and then delegating the work of getting there to your team--awesome.
Bear in mind that you can delegate tasks, but not responsibility. As CEO your time is best spent making sure that all these different projects are all heading toward the common mission. Keep the information flowing to from and between the people you have delegated to. All of which is "important" just not the day to day "nuts and bolts" that you may be used to.
You also need to remember you are the face of your company. What are you doing to make sure your community, industry etc. know about these exciting new things coming down the pipeline ?
Your role as CEO is just as important as that of those you trust to implement your vision, just different.
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Without knowing a lot about your company, the fact that innovation is one of your core strengths, leads me to believe that you have a transformational mindset. There are "Transactional" CEOs and "Transformational" CEOs, and few companies in existence these days will go far (or even exist much longer than 5-10 yrs) without a transformational CEO. While transactional leadership is needed to maintain the normal flow of operations, transformational leadership is what will help your company evolve, and transform the brilliant innovations you have into competitive advantage and business value. So ensure your potential CEO can articulate their approach to "business transformation". Ask them to talk about how they see innovation and digital technologies contributing to business transformation. Ask them to explain how they envisage involving your staff and freelancers in the transformation process, in the company's strategy and to tell you a few stories about how they have already successful done this. Cultural intelligence is critical, and it is important that your prospective CEO understands the Eastern European business and social culture. I have known too many American execs come to live in Eastern Europe (Prague & Katowice) and work against the culture, and not last very long - with both the company and the country! Aside from the good free advice you can read around the net from Harvard, McKinsey, etc; I have tried to give you a few recommendations that are particularly relevant to your unique circumstances.Rob LlewellynRL
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Does anyone know a simple game or activity to teach leaders how to delegate?
Try designing an activity where the leader has to describe to his team members how to build something or complete a certain task, with his back facing the team so he can't see what they're doing. Succeeding in this type of activity will require that the leader is able to use clear communication without being directly involved or micromanaging the situation. It will also require trust from both parties, and will force the team members to work together & help each other as they try to work out the specifics of carrying out the task. You can follow the activity with questions about what the leader did well and what he could have done better, and also what was frustrating for the leader. Push them to articulate how this activity translates to work in their organization. Here's a great example of this activity with a bit more detail: https://prezi.com/i1w8-bnyso-l/activity-to-teach-delegation/Sarah BrodySB
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What are your three (3) tips for delegating "up" to people more skilled than yourself?
Having been in senior management and a CEO for many years, I have found that delegating is not only a skill but also an art. You question is very interesting as I assume that in most situations you would be delegating to people more skilled or more knowledgeable about the task or project than you are. A good manager knows their limitations and their role which is to manage rather than do. Therefore the rules on good delegation techniques still apply: 1. Identify the right person or team with the right skills and experience to do the work. It sounds as if you have done this. Write down the reasons that you feel that they will be better placed to get the best results and portray this to the person up front. 2. Be clear on the level of delegation that you are giving to them. There are 9 levels (if you would like to know these, please let me know). This includes a detailed briefing to outline the tasks/outcomes. 3. Negotiate the timeframe, reporting and results. Don't tell, ask - then double the time they estimate. Most of us underestimate the time anything will take. By providing the person with extra time they will feel much more positive about the tasks and be confident on delivering the outcome. Negotiating the timeframe, reporting and results is the most important step. Never dictate this as you really want a good outcome and this will only be achieved if they are part of this decision. Please call me if you would like some more practical help.Liz ParkerLP
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How can I better leverage my time and master my busy schedule?
The Pomodoro method has changed my life! Whenever I'm writing or working out a creative problem, it really helps me focus on just one thing at a time. It's a simple timer that breaks down your day into 25-minute chunks (with 5-minute breaks). I use the Tomato One app on Mac OS, but there are countless others. Check it out and let me know what you think. I'd be happy to walk you through it or give some more tips if you need them. Thanks!Christopher (Chris) JenningsC(
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