I’m excited about all the activity in my life right now and as the fall approaches, there are interesting days ahead. At PGB, at the start of September we are having a 7 day photo shoot for both the cookbook and the new menu…and the management team is having a strategy day late in the month. The October new menu debut is taking quite a bit of time, and lately there is a lot more activity on the franchising front. And of course there is time with family and friends, a part time program I’m taking which starts back in session September 9th, exercise, and Project Runway – oh yeah I promised not to mention Project Runway again! (does anyone know how I can meet Tim Gunn?!)
With all this stuff going on, it is tempting to answer the simple question, “How are you?”, with the world’s most boring phrase: “I’M SO BUSY!”. I try really hard not to say that, not only because it is mundane but also because it implies I don’t like all these things going on – and I do.
DELEGATING
I think the key to being involved in a number of fascinating projects and activities is to know what aspects of them to delegate to others – and to do it, with plenty of time and sufficient direction given to the person you’re delegating to. It isn’t fair to delegate in a panic because you’ve left something too late and it isn’t fair to pass something on without being sure the person can do it well.
It is always a judgment call as to what can be successfully delegated and for sure I have delegated when I shouldn’t have and not passed on aspects of projects when I could have. In general, I try to delegate tasks if someone else can do them just as well (or better) and my particular involvement doesn’t matter that much.
For example, the PGB managers do a great job of ongoing coaching meetings. I definitely don’t need to be involved. But when it comes to letting someone go, I almost always join the meeting not because the managers couldn’t do it alone but just because it doesn’t feel right to entirely delegate an activity that is so difficult for all involved. I feel that in those meetings, as the business owner, my involvement can’t be delegated.
PICK YOUR SPOTS/HAVE MORE FUN
Sometimes I think we stay involved in an activity because we’re worried it won’t get done as well if we delegate it or we think people feel we “should” do it or we want to be part of every single thing going on…a weird combination of micromanaging and looking after our egos. The problem is that hanging on to every detail sends a message to people around you that you don’t trust them with big, juicy stuff and also leads to less time for you for things that are fun, challenging, new and different.
