14 Feb 2023

Start taking advantage of others expertise

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A conversation I had earlier in the week about a leader, (a very senior one), who micro-managed this particular person to the point of them leaving the company, really resonated with me as a human.

Because, I have, after nearly four years of running my own business, enlisted the expertise of a marketing company.

For two reasons:

  1. They are the experts in branding and content creation and reaching the right audience
  2. I need help!

Now, if I were the leader previously mentioned, I'd be ringing every day to find out what they were doing, how they were doing it and when they would have it all done by - I feel exhausted just writing the sentence! Why would I do that?

I am not a marketer or a graphic designer and while I can write and create content a bit, I couldn't really tell you if it hits the spot with my audience, I just like doing it! They are the experts, and I am paying them because I trust them to do the right things for me and my business.

Which is where the comparison comes in...if, as a leader, I feel I need to be constantly chasing, checking, and correcting, then I have to do one of two things:

  1. Give myself a long hard look in the mirror and wonder what I could be doing differently or better
  2. Work out if I have the right people around me with the right skills and expertise

I would always advocate doing the former first because it develops our self-awareness, and means we are always learning, and adapting to our situation. It means we have to work out why we don't trust the people in our team enough to do their work. So, ask yourself some questions:

  1. Have I given them the right skills?
  2. Have I made the boundaries, and expectations clear?
  3. Do I empower my team to do their work enough?
  4. Am I asking the right questions at the right time?

If we don't know the answers to these questions, then we need to ask the team. If the answers are all yes, we have a conversation to confirm our expectations. If any of the answers are no, we have a conversation about how you can support them better.

Sometimes this means someone leaves your team, but you will know when you look at yourself in the mirror next time, you have done all you can.

So, if you are going to employ someone for their skills, knowledge, and experience, let them use it. Your life will be far less exhausting, and your team will deliver whatever it is you need.