Early in life we discover we are great at some things, OK at other things, and not so great at many things. But our tendency is to try to become great at the things we are weak at. We work hard, and tough it out, all in an effort to get better.
Of course, it’s always good to try to improve ourselves and become more proficient. But for those things we’ve always been weak at, we may be wasting our efforts.
That’s because there are only a few things we do on this planet that excite us, engage us and provide us with enough energy to keep doing them for hours on end. Conversely, there are many things in life that drag us down and can frustrate us in mere minutes.
The trick is to focus on our strengths and delegate tasks we are weak at. This way, we can make the best use of our time and energy and ensure our businesses operate as efficiently as possible.
The challenges of delegating
Delegating may seem difficult at first. Many people feel guilty about it. Or we are worried that no one can complete the delegated tasks as well as ourselves. You may feel you do not have the time to train a team member on a process. It can be hard to let go and trust people you delegate to. But it’s not good for your health to try to do everything.
A more optimum situation is to recognize that there are likely many people on Earth who are just amazing at tasks that you or I have no natural ability towards.
Thus, the ultimate, most effective team is comprised of people with complementary strengths and weaknesses who can work well together.
Take the Kolbe test
Try taking the Kolbe A index for insight into how you naturally initiate when solving problems. Ask your team members to take the test as well. Or even your spouse.
The results will amaze you. It was such a breakthrough when I received my results. It really gave great context to many of my reactions to past experiences in life. The test results can also help you best leverage working with your team so that everyone is focusing on their strengths and not spinning their wheels trying to get better at their weaknesses.
The optimum team
You might then have to make some adjustments. For instance, a five-person team of big-idea people with no aptitude for the small details may not be very effective. If you want to come up with ideas and have other people execute them, you need to surround yourself with people who can best compliment the areas that you are not as natural towards.
According to Dan Sullivan, founder of The Strategic Coach, everyone has one Unique Ability that no one else has. He defines it as “a superior ability that other people notice and value; second, we love doing it and want to do it as much as possible; third, it is energizing both for us and others around us; and, fourth, we keep getting better, never running out of possibilities for further improvement.”
You may want to block off some time to sit down and make a list of the things you are really good at, and which you are better at than anyone you know. From that introspection, you can gradually understand what you should be focusing on, and what you need to delegate to people around you.
As Dan Sullivan says, it’s all about guarding your time and prioritizing: “You need to protect your time and attention, reserving it just for those decisions, relationships, and opportunities that need your particular skills and wisdom. If you don’t do this, your business (or life) will be limited to what you, personally, can do on any given day. But …. develop a team whose abilities complement your own, and you’ll suddenly find yourself with more time….”
In the event you need additional assistance in simplifying your life, we have developed a free report that identifies implementable tips that you can act on immediately to begin simplifying your life. Visit www.simpleplanreport.com to download today!
Have a fantastic day and always remember to keep things simple!
Mark Landers is the creator of The Simple Plan Program and has been helping entrepreneurs simplify their lives for over 10 years. He can be reached at Mark R. Landers, CFP CHS, The Northridge Financial Group Ltd. at 416.705.6640 or mark@nrfg.ca.
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