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Do/Delegate/Dump

Team Development, Team Development | | Tom Suddes

One simple way to gain FOCUS is to look at EVERYTHING you’re doing and decide:

  • What you’re going to continue to DO (relative to the ).
  • What you’re going to DELEGATE. (Somebody has to do it. Just not you.)
  • What you’re going to DUMP. (Not do. Nobody’s going to do it.)

Think about it.

DO

Stop trying to ‘do’ everything! (“I can’t let go.” “I micro-manage.” “Easier to do it myself.”)

The goal is to ONLY DO WHAT ONLY YOU CAN DO.

For the best example of this concept in action, read Michael Gelb’s INNOVATE LIKE EDISON. (Wonderful book — one of my favorite authors.), In essence, Edison believed his ‘job’ was to THINK and CREATE. He brought on hundreds of super-talented people to help EXECUTE. This book also reinforces that EVERYTHING’S A PROJECT! And, every project has a TEAM, LEADER, etc.

DELEGATE

Sounds simple, but always hard to figure out WHAT (to delegate) and to WHOM. What could you DELEGATE immediately that would free you up to ONLY DO WHAT ONLY YOU CAN DO.

I cut this quote out of Success Magazine on July 19, 2012. I think it captures the big idea. It’s from Richard Branson. Chief Virgin.(???) 300 companies. 34 countries. $2.1B in revenue.

“One of the best bits of advice I can give other leaders is to try to put yourself out of business. Try to find people to take over 99% of what you do, which will then free you up to THINK about the bigger picture.”

DELEGATE… 99% of what you do!

Jim Collins uses this same mindset, hiring a bunch of the ‘best and brightest’ to help him research and analyze his concepts.

Small example: 2013 marks the 30th Anniversary of The Suddes Group. In all those years, I can probably count the number of checks I’ve written on one hand. I hate accounting, accounts payable, accounts receivable. I’m no good with money. (It just doesn’t mean that much to me.) So… there’s always been somebody to take care of this.

My company role is to to think and make rain … to generate revenue through IMPACT and VALUE.

DUMP

I know. Again, way easier said than done.

Stephen Covey created his brilliant ‘Quadrants’ and made Quadrant IV (“Not Important. Not Urgent.”) all about DUMP.

Here’s another way to look at ‘DUMP’:

Create 3 lists:

  • Things I WANT to do.
  • Things I HAVE to do.
  • Things I neither WANT to do nor HAVE to do.

Dump the third list. Throw it away.