ELECTRONIC HOUSE CALL - December 15, 2000

WHO'S IN CHARGE HERE?

I was reminded again today that there is a difference between being in charge and running the joint.
Never forget for a moment that your staff actually runs the joint - to allow yourself to think otherwise is delusional. How well they run it depends on how seriously you are about ongoing training, how committed you are to open communication, how well you listen and a hundred other traits, but in the end, the best you can hope for is that everyone is headed in roughly the same direction creating consistent results in inconsistent ways.

I was reminded again today that there is a difference between being in charge and being responsible for everything.
OK, maybe it is your name on the door and your signature on the loan, but that does not mean you need to approve every invoice. To do so speaks volumes about the level of trust you (don't) have with your management and people tend to rise (or sink) to your expectations. You may ultimately have a responsibility to see that the bills are paid in a timely manner but the more you meddle in day-to-day details, the more you risk losing your perspective and sense of direction . . . and that is what you are ultimately in charge of maintaining. Even if you are a hands-on owner in a single unit Mom 'n Pop joint, think twice before you start doing things that your staff is capable of doing -- you are standing in the way of their professional development.

I was reminded again today that there is a difference between being in charge and doing it all yourself.
If you could run the place yourself, you would - it would sure be a lot neater! But you know that you can't run it by yourself, so why do you continue to try? You are not the world's foremost authority nor the holder of Ultimate Truth. In school there may be one right answer to a question, but in life there are lots of right answers. When you are in charge, your task is to nurture and coax out all those other right answers that reside in your staff. Occasionally one of their ideas will fall flat, but if you do not allow people the opportunity to fail, you do not give them the opportunity to excel. Be willing to get your results with someone else's ideas and you, your organization and your staff will flourish.

That's it. Go home. Have a life. Let your staff impress you with what they can do when given the chance to shine.

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