Nose in, fingers out

I wasn’t familiar with this expression used to describe how an effective board of directors works with management.

I get it. Their role is to be detached, removed from the day to day.?Able to ask really pointed questions about the business’ performance on everything from profit to people, growth to service, culture to operations.?And to show a continued interest thereafter - without doing the actual work.

I wish I was capable of this.?I remember being guided, granted some time ago, about being able to sit in the stands and interpret the data from the field, being ready to offer direction to the coach and then watch the team respond.?To which, if memory serves, I responded that this could be a problem because I tend to want to be on the field, in the mud, helping score the goal.

To which everyone reading this who enjoys quoting management books will scream “but that’s not scalable!”.?Hasn’t stopped me (and the businesses I have worked in) so far. That said, hopefully I have shown, and will continue to find, the balance as I age and mature in my business life.

But for now, I can’t help myself and I don’t want to.?I like being needed. And I like being valuable.?So, I am going to persist playing for a great team in a highly competitive arena and, with any luck (and a whole lot of skill) come up winning every time.