by Jonathan Jones
Many leaders waste hours of time doing work they could delegate. I know one business owner who employs more than 50 people but still insists on doing weekly payroll himself. Many times we “buy back” delegation because we decide we can do the role better and faster than the “idiot” we hired or we decide no one can do the job as well as we can.
Good time management for a leader begins with hiring, and that means not being afraid to hire people who are smarter than you are. If you are careful in your selection, you can feel more confident in delegating duties.
Smart people who are well-trained and clear in their duties can get the work done faster and better. So make a point of hiring people who can sell better than you can and customer service specialists who dazzle customers. Have a smart, reliable assistant who can expedite time-consuming administrative work, such as accurately proofreading your vital communications or coordinating complex schedules. Often such staffers have special talents that include a passionate attention to details or understanding how co-workers think – qualities you may have but probably lack time to develop.
You will have hours of time available to you to stay focused on the managerial tasks for which your team relies on you in order for them to stay engaged and productive.
Hiring smarter people also presents the challenge of keeping them focused on the company’s strategy and objectives. Because smart people enjoy working with and being around other smart people, they create an energized, smart, successful work environment. Hiring smart people means you can spend your time on more valuable strategic thinking, which should include developing new skills in those very people, to help grow your organization. You might even have time to think about your vacation.
Jonathan Jones (Jonathan.jones@vistagechair.com or 314-608-0783) is a CEO peer group chair/coach for Vistage International.
Submitted 9 years 56 days ago