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Jim invited me to join him for lunch. "I'm in trouble, John. I've lost touch with my business and customers. You've been recommended by several of my CEO colleagues as a great consultant. Will you help me?" I pushed past the insult of being called a consultant. (After all, a consultant is someone who borrows your watch to tell you the time...and keeps the watch.) I let Jim know that I was flattered, but asked him what he would think if instead, I could find consultants to help him who had intimate knowledge of his business, were passionate about its success, and would pitch in and help implement the plan. He asked eagerly, "How much do they cost and when are they available?" He was speechless when I said they wouldn't cost him an extra nickel and they'd be available immediately. The consultants I had in mind, of course, were his own executive team. No one on the face of the earth understood his business better. No one was as passionate about its success. No one had as much "boots on the ground" insight into the business' issues. What they didn't have was a process to tap into that passion and insight. Executive teams are often the least-utilized asset in a company. I have found that the most effective way to tap into their passion and expertise is with a well-structured and facilitated strategic planning process, including effective implementation. (For more on strategic planning, review the two chapters I wrote in the Business Expert Guide to Small Business Success.) Once you and your team define where you want to go, you need to implement your plan. The most productive implementation method is delegation. For more insight on the why and how of delegation, take a look at my article on delegation and/or attend my next webinar. Read the article Strategic Delegation: The Key to Increased Productivity and Higher Performance, or see my January 2011 newsletter on the topic of delegation. More information on the webinar: Effectively Delegate Tasks to Drive Productivity and Growth.
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