Letting Go

Teddy Roosevelt once said that “the best executive is the one who has sense enough to pick good men to do what he wants done, and self-restraint enough to keep from meddling with them while they do it.”

There are two parts to this challenge. The first is finding and selecting people who fit your company and who have the capacity to learn, to grow and to do their jobs well. The second is staying connected with your people so they are clear on expectations and held accountable for results. If you don’t do both of these things well you’ll never build an effective team, one capable of taking your organization where you want it to go.

If you find yourself feeling guilty for taking time off from work or not enjoying a family vacation because you’re worrying about your business, you have to question whether you’ve picked the right people and why you’re not comfortable with them doing what you’re paying them to do. Does your anxiety stem from not trusting your judgment about the leadership team you’ve selected or from not trusting that they’ll do what you want them to do, or both?

Assuming that you’ve picked the right people (ones who share your values) and that they’re in the right seats (have the capacity to do their jobs well) the next step is to let go. But in letting go, you’re not abdicating your leadership role. You’re creating a framework for your leadership team to stay connected and engaged.

To keep people connected, establish a meeting pulse for your leadership team. You must meet weekly and follow a specific agenda that lasts no longer than 90 minutes. Stay focused. The first half of the meeting is to report, review and create your issues list. Webster’s defines an issue as “a point, matter or question to be disputed or decided.” The second half of the meeting is to prioritize, identify, discuss and solve the key issues. The solutions lead to action items that get completed within the next 1 to 2 weeks.

To keep people engaged, establish quarterly priorities for your company (3 to 7, not 37) and for each member of the leadership team (again, less is more - 2 to 3 is a good start). Choose these priorities carefully. Ask yourself, “Do these quarterly priorities help me achieve my goals for the year? Are they tied to my company’s financial performance?” You should also ensure that each priority is SMART – specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and timely. And, ask each person to establish a process by which they’ll achieve their key priority. You’ll find that no person is an island and that they’ll need each other’s support to complete their priority.

With the right people in the right seats connected and engaged you’re ready to let go. By letting go, you’re not stepping away you’re actually empowering your people to step up, to take responsibility and hold each other accountable to do what they say they will do. Exercise self-restraint while staying connected and engaged.

Now, go enjoy some time off. Your team will keep things running smoothly while you’re gone and you’ll have fewer issues to deal with upon your return.