[pullquote align=”normal” cite=”Jim Rohn”]It is the set of the sails, not the direction of the wind that determines which way we will go. [/pullquote]
Steve was the CEO of a New York-based marketing company and had a dozen project managers with even more projects in the pipeline, and he was in a state of constant anxiety over how they would accomplish all of them. He had a talented team, but each of them had their own thoughts concerning what needed to be done first. Accountability and consistency were in short supply.
They spent more time arguing about where and how to begin, and nothing was getting done. What Steve needed more than anything was a cohesive process that everyone could follow.
It may seem obvious to point out that before you can get to where you are going, you have to first know how you will get there. To keep on track towards your goals, you first have to take the time to create the track initially or watch as projects get derailed again and again.
So many great companies fail to even get off the ground because they don’t take a time to establish focus from the beginning.
The Challenge
It’s difficult to align multiple people at once without something to direct them with, synchronicity doesn’t just happen by chance, you have to create a space where people know how and when to do certain things. You can’t just sit back and let things happen. You have to create an environment where they can happen. You have to chart a course and make periodic adjustments as you go along. You have to focus your people, and even more so on your systems.
No ballet company could complete a piece of choreography without taking the time to get into a rhythm, no orchestra could play in harmony without taking the time to tune their instruments.
A vision, a strategy, and a plan need to be present so that the team members can be held accountable for achieving results. Even world-class orchestras still need a conductor, even the most successful companies need a course by which to set their sails.
Accountability Brings Predictability to Results
So what does this track look like? What are the things you need to implement to direct the focus of your team in such a way that promotes high performance? You can direct your team with effective job descriptions, in-depth project plans, weekly objectives, and Key Performance Indicators (KPI’s).
Set milestones for your team so that they know what to expect each step up the way, and be detailed when you make assignments. Vague instructions will only lead to work that doesn’t match your standards. Don’t leave anything to chance.
Now, what happens if, in the middle of a long-term project, a smaller but highly lucrative project lands on your desk? You don’t just ignore it, obviously, but you will have to juggle assignments and milestones to give the new project priority.
If your team is trained to follow detailed briefs, then they’ll be able to make the switch to take on this new priority and rebalance their workload without much difficulty. And then, once it’s finished, they will return to the long-term work.
Your Next Steps
Once Steve determined how to devise effective work processes for his team, ones that they could follow easily without much input from him, he was amazed at what his team was able to accomplish. Effective delegation is truly the gateway to scaling your business.
By setting reachable goals, and checking in regularly to make sure everything was on track, Steve saw levels of productivity in his team that he never before thought possible.
About Grow Business Now
At Grow Business Now, we work with senior leaders of privately held companies with scalable business models who want to overcome the 6 big obstacles to growth in record time.