Getting Out of Your Own Way

I am tired of hearing myself and others say, “I am so glad it is finally 2019; 2018 has been a tough year,” especially as 2019 has not shown any better promise in its first five weeks. In fact, my company has just experienced its worst few months in the history of my 20+ years of business ownership.

Aren’t you worried?

In the words of Rudolf Abel, played by Mark Rylance, in the film “Bridge of Spies”,

Would that help?

No, worrying certainly will not help. So, what will?

I wear two hats in my company: the Managing Director and the Chief Executive Officer.

Sometimes, it is necessary for the Managing Director to haul in the CEO for a performance review.

MD: What happened?

CEO: I got “busy.”

MD: The type of busy that is the new stupid? The kind of busy that looks successful, but is an epic fail?

CEO: Yes, that kind of busy.

MD: What are you going to do about that?

I took some time out from the office. I needed to stop. I mean really stop; not the slow down kind of almost stop. The stop kind of stop, where you get so bored that your mind goes crazy trying to entertain itself and all reason is screaming that you should be working, you should be “busy.”

With the CEO put on ice, the MD began making an appearance. She noticed how much time the CEO spent in operations management instead of strategic management. She noticed a lot of time and energy had been put into establishing systems and structures, the sales and marketing effort, and the day-to-day logistics of the new business unit, Expedition Bali. She noticed this was at the expense of two of the other business units – Bali Incentive Book and Western Influences consulting. It wasn’t working and it needed to change – fast.

First, I started examining my daily habits and routines, plotting every activity over a seven-day period into 30 minute blocks in a time management matrix. I needed to see the reality of the busyness, not the illusion I had created for myself and others.

Next, I assessed which activities contribute to the company’s mission; which activities do not; and, which activities require less CEO and / or MD and can be delegated to other team members. Immediately, large gaps began to appear in the matrix. Those gaps presented opportunities for newness.

On returning to the office after a 12-day break, I addressed my teams:

I am getting out of my own way, which will get me out of your way too.

I could hear them cheering silently.

Leadership emerged, replacing management. Strategy emerged, replacing operations. Business emerged, replacing busyness.

The cashflow hasn’t returned to the bank account yet. However, we can all feel it coming. In the meantime, we are all celebrating playing to our strengths again. Mine is wearing two hats – being the executive who has sense enough to select good people to do what she wants done; and, the CEO with self-restraint enough to keep from meddling with them while they do it.

For more information about Tracy Wilkinson and Western Influences International, visit www.westerninfluences.com.