Stop Solving Problems and Start Sharing the Insomnia

This is the time of year when all of your hard work pays off; the projects are well underway, you have cash in the bank and the phones are still ringing. But things are not always as smooth as all that.

This chaotic time can frequently lead to the end of summer-implosion. Because you are the go-to person for problem-solving, this time of year can be especially frustrating to you rather than the rewarding time it should be. This is the time for you to be developing your people, not solving all the problems.

This is when you should become very well practiced in delegating and coaching

• Coach your crew leaders on handling difficult customers
• When a crew leader calls with an issue, ask them what they recommend. Develop their thinking skills
• Ask employees what they think the best approach should be to complete a project
• Have your team re-design the schedule to accommodate poor weather

While it may seem counter-intuitive to allow your team to take control at this most important time of year, it is actually the best time. They will make mistakes, sure, but you will be there to assist them through the problem solving necessary to correct them. A customer service issue now will cost you less when you are handling a large volume of work, than a mistake made in February where there are far fewer jobs and the profit margins are diluted by winter sales.

In addition to the business, are you allowing your people to manage YOU? Are you so knee-deep in the process that you are failing to see the bigger picture? Allow your team to give you advice on time management. Are they answering the phones and can they help to drive a better calendar for you? Can they help you to prioritize the urgent and important? When your Field Supervisor says to you “I can handle this” are you letting them?

Talk to your Summit coach about the best way to go about delegating; have you developed a good crew leader who may be ready to take on some additional field responsibilities? Can you have your office personnel call your next three weeks of appointments and pre-qualify them? Is it (past) time to get your Operations Manager trained on Smartsheet so they can start getting jobs scheduled for you? Consider your team as a whole, what are their strengths and are you playing to them? Give them the latitude to assist you and they will!

All the Best!

-Kathryn Freeman