It was 2.30 am. It was cold and dark and I'd been in bed for just a half hour when the phone rang.
"Alarm Centre here, are you the keyholder at Balham Store, in a lively(!) south London suburb. Grumpily, I replied in the affirmative. My wife didn't even stir.
"The alarm has gone off and will need your attendance - when will you be there?" I told them that it would take me 40 minutes or so. The 45 miles through the empty streets would not take the 90 minutes typical during the morning and evening rush hour.
I grudgingly got up and put my clothes on, vaguely aware that I had only been in from the neighbours Christmas party for a short time - and not entirely clear how much I had drunk at all, but it would be close.
About 10 minutes into the drive, the car hit a patch of black ice and slid down a 12 foot bank into a field. It was bumpy, but amazingly, nothing was damaged, except for a few scratches. Even I was OK. Indeed, it sobered me up pretty darned quickly. As pure chance would have it, I was in a field where there was a gate about 200 yards away which would get me back onto the road.
Quickly, I opened the gate and drove through, up to the Store and did my duty.
Over the next three months, I made sure that my recruitment process brought in some key people who would be able to deputise for me. It was no way for me to be, driving in at all hours. That wasn't my role. My role was to manage the business, drive strategy and change and above all, grow profit. I couldn't do that unexpected driving in at all hours. And ending up in a field. And luckily surviving.
In that moment I understood the value of delegation and getting a team in, to work right by me with everyone doing what each of us did best. With some of them living nearby. I knew my place.
Martin Haworth is a Business and Management Coach. He works worldwide, mainly by phone, with small business owners, managers and corporate leaders. He has hundreds of hints, tips and ideas at his website, http://www.coaching-businesses-to-success.com a>
...helping you, to help your people, to help your business grow...
People talk to me about making personal and professional changes... Read More
Gratitude might seem like a soft or even an obvious... Read More
Here are 10 subjects that academia should be teaching their... Read More
Many organisations use the term "lessons learned" to describe the... Read More
Direct reports-people who need direction and leadership-rely on their leaders... Read More
People sometimes interchange the terms "know-how" and "knowledge", but there's... Read More
Companies spend millions of dollars each year identifying their brand,... Read More
Unhappy as Jenny undoubtedly was, she held on very tightly... Read More
Hurting your sales efforts can be accomplished easily with the... Read More
Too many businesses wait until a crisis occurs before they... Read More
Australians are loosing their laidback, carefree reputation, as we continue... Read More
You, the Entrepreneur, are 'normally' a type-A individual. One who... Read More
What really amazes me, with all the personal and professional... Read More
Much of the literature and advice on implementing business change... Read More
Here are ten fundamental concepts that characterize an effective meeting.Definition:... Read More
The permissive and participatory conduct which most employees take for... Read More
Have you ever noticed french fries taste the same at... Read More
What is the principal thing you need to succeed in... Read More
There is a saying about management that suggests some managers... Read More
To release creativity in employees, managers must get involved in... Read More
I recently received a most interesting phone call.When I answered... Read More
Are you one of those bosses that people just love... Read More
IntroductionAre you looking for a way to gain control of... Read More
Ask most people why they are in business and they... Read More
Rejection hurts. No one likes to give it or to... Read More
Have you ever hired the wrong person? If so, perhaps... Read More
I believe the media and our culture sends the wrong... Read More
Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation... Read More
Time To Market (TTM) is a vital concept that every... Read More
It seems incongruous that good idea generation can be a... Read More
The higher you go, the cooler it becomes. Really? Let... Read More
Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation... Read More
Every parent, educator, and manager knows that "Nintendo children"--those born... Read More
Writing an award winning business plan is a great skill,... Read More
There was a buzz in the air recently about the... Read More
Judgment is the process of forming an opinion of something... Read More
There are some very simple guides for delegation.Most people delegate... Read More
Ask almost any business leader how to most effectively develop... Read More
What you say to other people can make or break... Read More
Are you the position or the person?Bosses can lose their... Read More
Are your management practices on the right track? Retaining your... Read More
We obtain strategic results by aligning HR mission, vision and... Read More
The Julian calendar we use to pass the time every... Read More
I am not writing this to create a list of... Read More
Charles Petrie, from Stanford, released a short article entitled "The... Read More
Do you want to measure your workers' level of satisfaction?... Read More
So, you survived the downsizing. Your company did something that... Read More
COMPANY/ORGANIZATIONA South Florida hospital. The CEO of the hospital saw... Read More
This short story, Coworkers Collaborate to Complete Successful Initiative, was... Read More
Let's begin by singing the jingle from an old US... Read More
The following nursing home collections report outlines 11 guidelines you... Read More
What would happen if the personal assistants in your organisation... Read More
Check Out Your E-HabitsAnother week has ended. And, despite moving... Read More
In running any kind of business, it's inevitable that sometimes... Read More
"Without the chance to meaningfully participate in steering one's own... Read More
At some point, your business is going to need to... Read More
We know character when we see it, but what exactly... Read More
Recruiting and hiring are often done in haste, leaving the... Read More
JUGGLING DEMANDS: All leaders constantly juggle a multifarious array of... Read More
Intangible Corporate Assets such as Organizational Capital, Blue Sky and... Read More
Many operations leaders have been there, done that with re-engineering.... Read More
You're on your organization's diversity committee. You have the best... Read More
Like many, I watched the 134th Belmont Stakes hoping to... Read More
Merely assigning a task with detailed instructions is not effective... Read More
Your use of voice mail tells others a lot about... Read More
Bad hiring decisions cost organizations, both in dollars and lost... Read More
Business Management |