Who do we trust?

trust

When I work with executive teams,  I uncover obstacles to execution that the team are  just not seeing.

They are too close to it.  Here’s a common one…

Who is capable?

I want to talk about what happens when the GM and the executives don’t share a view of who is capable at the next level down, and what to do about it.

Here’s how this often goes…

My team is stuck in the weeds…

I talk to the General Manager and they are concerned that the executives who report to them are stuck in the details and tactics — that they need to step up, think and work more strategically, and delegate better.

I would love to delegate, but cant…

Then I talk to the executives and learn that they would LOVE to delegate more, but feel trapped because some of their people are not capable enough.  They also feel like they don’t have the ability or support to make changes.

Expectations Diverge…

So the GM is thinking that the execs are upgrading talent where necessary, but the exec’s are not making changes to staff because they think there is some reason they can’t or shouldn’t — that they need to work with the people they already have.

Different views of key players

Also, often there is a key player that the exec trusts but the GM doesn’t, so there is lots of questioning or second guessing from above.

Or sometimes it’s that the GM has a “favorite” that the exec sees as not performing, so feels like their hands are tied to do anything about it.

Execution slows or stalls

This shoots the whole strategy in the foot.

The work of getting the strategy executed never quite lands in the right place.

Managers know they should delegate, but if they don’t have people capable of delegating to, they will jump in to get the work done personally.

They strain under the workload because they are doing too much of the work personally.  They attempt to do their strategic work AND to “cover” for the weaker players on the team.

The strategic stuff takes ultimately takes a back seat to the current, urgent work.  And the GM remains frustrated that the execs are still in the weeds.

A really straightforward way fix this

1. You’re allowed and required. As a manager, accept as a fundamental truth that you should have confidence that you can delegate to every single person on your team and trust the outcome.

2. Get really clear about your players. Answer the following questions for each person:

  • What is my level of trust and confidence to delegate to this person?
  • If not 100%, what is the issue? What types of things break down?
  • What is the risk to the business if this person doesn’t deliver well?
  • Will training work?
  • Does my boss trust this person?  If no, why not?
  • What is my recommendation for this person/role?
    • Train the person
    • Eliminate and get a new person

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3. Review it! Then (here is the magic), sit down with your boss and review these assessments for every single person on your team.

Get your boss’s opinion about these questions for each person.  Talk it out.  Get aligned.

Don’t guess.  Find out.

Don’t make assumptions that you can’t fire people because your boss likes them, or that you are not allowed.

Don’t make assumptions that your boss does or doesn’t trust someone on your team without asking specifically.

This saves so much time and heart ache.

Get all the opinions and concerns (yours and your boss’s) out on the table and then act. Get a plan.

Reduce Execution Risk

You and your boss need to be in lock step to make sure that you both trust every single person on your team to be delegated to.

  • If you trust them, but your boss doesn’t, you are going to get stuck in the work because your boss will demand that you check up, or show up personally.
  • If your boss trusts them, but you don’t, you are going to get stuck in the work, because you are going to feel the need to check up on them and re-do the work.

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It’s your job to build the team that can deliver what the strategy requires.

See Also: Strategy into Action

Don’t let different expectations about who is trusted get in the way.  Find out and then build the right team.

You can find Patty at www.AzzarelloGroup.com, follow her on twitter or Facebook, or read her books RISE and MOVE.


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