29 May If I Want Something Done I’ll Do it Myself
The If-I-Want-Something-Done-I’ll-Do-It-Myself Solution –
A business owner named Sue had initiated a succession process at her company. Like many leaders, Sue struggled to relinquish responsibility to younger leaders. She’d always been reluctant to delegate, and often found herself re-doing others’ work. This tendency seemed to intensify as she began planning for succession. Sue wasn’t comforted to know that “letting go” is a common challenge. Understanding the psychological roots of her need for control didn’t help much, either.
The Solution: Step back to move forward. Sue took a low-risk action to help shift her long-standing behavior. Every Tuesday she physically removed herself from the office and did not send or respond to any calls or emails. At first, “Suesdays” were uncomfortable for everyone. But over time, Sue learned more about the capabilities of her key people and saw that a step back wasn’t a setback. If you’re a DIY kind of leader, a structured approach might work for you, too. Even if you’re nowhere near retirement. And even if your name doesn’t rhyme with a day of the week.
Most leaders accept that at some time in the future, their time at the helm will end and the business will be given into the care of the next leader. However, just thinking about the transition can be daunting and overwhelming for the senior leader. If that weren’t enough, most owners experience their own succession just once. Tandem Partners provides the experience and professional guidance needed to move through the strategic, operational and interpersonal issues that are all a part of transition.
For families in business, success is not just measured in fiscal years, but over generations. Yet often, leaders are so focused on the day-to-day that they aren’t able to step back and focus on the issues that impact long-term sustainability. We help leadership teams assess where they are now, where they’re trying to go and how they’re going to get there. Our expertise in the areas of organizational strategy, structure, process and performance is a unique feature of our work, and integral to our transition management approach.
