Why to Outsource What You Don't Do Best
Published by Linda Rolf on 7/20/2021
My 10-year-old grandgirl #2 recently learned a valuable lesson that we can all add to our everyday business toolkit. At a 3-day UCF softball camp, she had the opportunity to play catcher for the first time. She discovered she loved being behind the plate and was eager to try other new positions.
At the end of her exciting 3 days, she had a broader understanding of
how each position contributes to the team,
the unique skills required for each position,
what her skills and strengths on the team are, and
most importantly, how to make a quick decision in her position that plays to the strengths of her teammates.
In
last week's post, I shared a simple, practical 6-point exercise to discover your most effective team position. Now you are going to use this information to answer an important question--
"Who do I need to do the things I'm doing that don't contribute the most to the company's success?"
Giving up control is hard for a lot of us.
We say, "I can do it faster", "They're too expensive", "We need to do it in-house because…". Add the phrase you use to justify doing what someone else should be doing for you.
In the next part of this exercise, you're going to discover the lost opportunities just waiting for your right who.
For each activity that you have checked as Dread It or Seat of the Pants, you have squandered your valuable time and energy. Grab your time tracking journal and add these two columns to it. There is also a free template here for you.
Opportunity Time Lost
Calculate the time you invested in each of these activities.
Opportunity Lost Revenue
How much did these hours cost your company in potential revenue?
If you weren't distracted by these activities, where would you invest your energy?
What would that mean to you, your clients, and your company?
Finding the right whos to do the right jobs takes careful thought and a commitment to trusted relationship-building.
Here are some helpful tips to regain the time to do the things you most love to do.
Start with one activity that is on target for a short term goal.
Clearly describe what this activity involves, why it is important, and the expected outcome. Be realistic in your expectations.
Identify the skills needed.
Why are you doing it now?
Imagine how you will feel if you stop doing this.
Start a Don't Do It list and add this task to it. Post the list where you can't ignore it.
Who do you know who can do this job now?
Why haven't you asked them to partner with you? Take some time to objectively and honestly consider this. The answers are yours alone and don't have to be shared with anyone.
How will you measure success?
Start a conversation with a potential who. You don't have to commit to anything. Just ask questions and listen with an open mind.
Don't give up if one who doesn't deliver what you expected. Evaluate, learn, and try again.
When you become comfortable always first asking yourself "Who is the right person to do this job?", the time you were looking for will appear.
Tags: Business Strategy
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Linda Rolf is a lifelong curious learner who believes a knowledge-first approach builds valuable client relationships. She is fueled by discovering the unexpected connections among technology, data, information, people and process. For more than four decades, Linda and Quest Technology Group have been their clients' trusted advisor and strategic partner.
Linda believes that lasting value and trust are created through continuously listening, sharing knowledge freely, and delivering more than their clients even know they need. As the CIO of their first startup client said, "The value that Quest brings to Cotton States is far greater than the software they develop."
