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Getting to the Point A newsletter about the business of life
January 25, 2006

In this issue
  • Drivers Wanted. I Delegate.
  • Others Have Said
  • On a personal note

  • Drivers Wanted. I Delegate.
    teen with car

    It happened Sunday about noon. The deep breath I took was followed by a short shiver and a nervous headshake.

    “Do you have your learner’s permit in your wallet?”, I asked Will. Yes. Would you like to drive to the store this afternoon? Yes!

    That short conversation was my metaphorical jump from the sky diving plane of security and I was hoping (praying) my chute was packed correctly.

    Our son Will had been patiently waiting for an invitation from my wife or me to take him out for his first drive behind the wheel of a car since he had obtained his learner’s permit several weeks earlier. Betsey did not know that the driving adventure was to happen until she saw Will in the driver’s seat and me in the passenger seat calm, cool and slightly ashen in color as we rolled out of the driveway.

    Teaching someone how to drive isn’t so hard I thought. Start, Turn, Stop. Isn’t that all there is to it? I’ve been doing it for years. It shouldn’t take him long to pick it up and I can end my chauffeur service for one more child.

    Wrong. It’s hard to teach someone on that first drive. The hardest thing is being out of control of just about everything while you are watching from the passenger seat. It was hardest to control the beads of cold sweat on my forehead for the first ten minutes.

    The amazing part was that after another ten minutes he understood that the brakes were obediently responsive and that the sequence of turn signal, coast, brake and turn steering wheel was much more difficult than operating an iPod Nano. We both took great pride that we arrived at our destination and returned without incident.

    The feelings I felt from the passenger seat on that driving lesson aren’t much different than the feelings you get when you assign or delegate jobs to others. A point occurs when it’s time to pass responsibility to others no matter how uncomfortable you feel about it.

    In the past, when I have delegated work to others, I felt much of the anxiety I felt during Will's’ driving lesson.

    1. Does he know enough? (Up or down for a left hand turn signal)
    2. What if he forgets the important stuff? (brake pedal location)
    3. What happens if he has to make a decision about a new situation? (dog in road)

    Delegation is about trusting the delegate. If the delegate is capable of handling 80 percent or more of the job, then it’s time for the boss to sit in the passenger seat and let the delegate drive.

    Having faith in the delegate, being aware of the delegate’s proficiencies and trusting your own internal good judgment are the three essentials for the art of delegation. Take every opportunity you have to let others drive in your organization. It is the only way they will grow, your business will grow and you will grow.

    Does your organization advertise: Drivers Wanted?

    Learn to delegate by making time to plan, one of my 8 simple strategies for success. Want to learn more? click here


    Others Have Said

    "Liberty means responsibility. That is why most men dread it." -- George Bernard Shaw

    "The strongest principle of growth lies in human choice." -- George Eliot

    "One word sums up the responsibility of any vice president, and that one word is 'to be prepared'." -- Dan Quayle


    On a personal note
    unicycle

    If you have taught someone to drive a car, you may remember the feeling of helplessness on that first drive with the student. There was no brake on the passenger side, but my right foot didn’t know it. I think I made a dent in the floor due to my involuntarily pressing so hard with my brake foot.

    You probably remember your first time behind the wheel; I sure do. My mother, the instructor, was probably also ashen faced as she kept telling me to slow down. I grew up in a rural area and was an experienced farm tractor jockey by the time I was 16. Having had the opportunity to drive some trucks off-road, I was far too comfortable behind the wheel the first time.

    Later on, being blissfully ignorant, I was confident enough in my driving skills to take my drivers license road test in a car with a four-speed transmission. The examiner took me on a route through the city that was unusual. He must have been looking for an uphill route with a red light on the hill. If you can drive a manual transmission, you have to be a clutch artist to handle brake, accelerator and clutch on an uphill start. We stopped at just such an uphill red light. The light turned green and with absolute finesse, I started uphill without the slightest hint of clutch popping, shaking or stalling.

    I passed.

    Doug


    Deewochagall

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