Trust but verify
2009-11-24
Trust but verify.
Three words I wish I would have heard years ago.
A lesson in delegating that would have saved me so much frustration.
Running my first business with employees, it was a real effort to learn how to delegate.
Everyone knows that feeling: “They’re not doing it as good as me. Here - I’ll do it myself.”
I was trapped in that for years, so when it was obvious I had to delegate or die, I tried really hard to let go.
I tried not to micro-manage. To trust that they’re smart and will get the work done well.
But a few devastating times, I found out that I had tried too hard not to micro-manage. I hadn’t managed at all. I had said something once, thought it was understood and agreed, and assumed the best.
But things had gone horribly wrong. Months of orders had not been processed. Money had disappeared from the bank. Projects I thought were underway had never been started.
In all of the cases, a simple one-minute verification along the way would have prevented everything.
I could get mad at them, but really it was my fault for not building that verification step into the plan.
Not micro-managing, it can be as simple as:
- asking them to email you when done with each step
- or a “dashboard” style monitor showing the progress of projects
- or a simple note-to-self system to check in with someone a few days after you’ve assigned them something, to make sure it’s going OK
- or anything! - but don't ignore it.
So here I am sharing one of my hardest delegation lessons learned, in hindsight.
Trust but verify.
Good point. I'd like to add that this is good parenting advice too, especially with older kids!
Very good advice, Derek. I needed this one today.
Painful, but true. Thanks for your devotion to musicians, Derek. Your creation, CDBaby, is indeed a wonderful thing.
I'm with Noah; and in fact, if you've raised kids, this is one of the lessons you can bring to business.
Trust shouldn't have to be earned; it's mistrust that should be earned.
Do you or did you have a specific "note to self" system that you like to use for reminding yourself of things to remember to do--a system for your to-do list/prioritizing? Or do any other people? Many thanks!
Getting Things Done is the most popular and probably most effective. -- Derek
You need trust. I worked with several co-writers,past and present, and there are really none that I can't trust. And that is something for people you have met through mail (then) and e-mail now.
There are still a lot of honest people out there, and my hat is off to them in respect.
That is a great observation and difficult to learn how to do it effectively. I think it is also associated with another bit of advice:
"Pick your battles"
Not everything needs to be done exactly how you would like it done. But there are a number of things where you would like to have more influence, perhaps even to the point of micro-managing.
In this case I think of Steven Jobs on Product Development, but not after the product has been released.
HOW TRUE! I'm currently in a situation (in my business work environment, not music environment) where I am under a micro-manager and this verification step would greatly help in reducing stress among everyone. I will suggest as implementation! Thanks Derek!
so true...
i'm like you in a way. the best lessons i've learned have been learned the hard way - but i never forget those hard learned lessons.
regards,
~stan tristan
Smart objectives to management Derek. It's not safe to assume your colleagues will stay on point with a task, unless you keep up with the progress along the way. I fully support this.
Hey Chris,
Remember the Milk is pretty good
http://www.rememberthemilk.com/
Also for bigger projects have heard Basecamp is very good
http://basecamphq.com/
Very sound advice. This becomes even stickier when you start building relationships with each other, and essentially become friends with the people you are working with (as often happens in music groups, with both the players and business team). However, I have also found that this helps weed out the ones who are just not on the same page as the rest of the team. When everyone is happy working towards the same goal, no one seems to take offense to checking up on one another. It's one of the rare things in this business I think....to have a whole team be able to check their egos for the greater good...
Thanks Derek.
-Ry
Good advice and timely. Thanks for sharing these insights.
incredibly useful and I agree. I have falled into that pit many times. Now I am managing a big project and I had to come out of that mentality and make sure I delegate to others. It's all too tempting to do it yourself, but that's what's wrong with old style management: blame pointing and not letting others people grow by taking tasks and praises yourself. The success is always with the team, not the individual, that's my motto now..;)
Been there, done that, is there a Tee Shirt?
Trust but verify was popularized by Pres. Regan with regard to the Sowiet Union. There is also another way to view it. Checking in as a loving support. The action is the same, and the perspective, or, if you will, the space, is different: nurturing, rather than concerned.
This is something that must be built into my print publication process. When possible: Automate the verification when a result is in digital form or a step is taken online. This is not new. Back in the '90s, with the magazine, a daemon regularly checked files in a folder to see if anything was new or recently modified, then made an alert of new items, modified items (and reported the modifications from the previous version, while keeping a running archive of changed versions until actual publication on paper). Same can be done with online tasks, the "checkbox" field being hidden, the worker must complete the task, or request to go back and modify/correct the task, in order to change the status of that step in the process.
I have learned to follow up,email, call,and text with people when I start a project.I have had to learn the hard way as well.Follow up is essential and neccessary.
Trust empowers people and gives them a sense of dignity and self worth - that goes a long way toward allowing people to feel important and enjoy their work rather than see themselves as dispensible cogs in a machine. Nothing wrong with verifying that something gets done, so long as it's done in a reasonable, kind way, so that the verifyee (is that a word?) doesn't feel worthless.
When I'm recording, I very often use guest vocalists. I do the same thing every time, i.e. provide them with a lyric sheet and a recording to rehearse with before the session. I don't think one vocalist has done it "right" yet - they always interpret it their own way. But I've learned that not only is there nothing wrong with that, but it's actually preferable. The end product is much better when a singer can feel the song their way and react with it, rather than conform to some preconceived idea I have forced on them. It may take some getting used to on my part, but in the end, I'm always more pleased than if I had been a dictator about it.
Well, that's an artistic process, but the principle can apply in any business environment to some extent, can't it?
Ronald Reagan said it many years ago, "trust but verify".
Well said Derek.
I am reminded f the greatest guy of all time-Jesus Christ-who selected 12 apostles and trusted them with a great task but also checked if all went well as planned (Luke 10v17-20).
Trust, delegate, and check. Even a trusted somebody could do the checking on your behalf, but you are the one to put the system of checking, that best suits your need, in place.
Thanks again and stay blessed
Bottom line is, IF an employee is moving too slow and you're picking up their slack, then you fire them.
No questions asked
I disagree. Ask questions. Ask why they're moving too slow. Always start with communication. -- Derek
Derek
You did ok though .
Regards Danny
trust but verify ala Reagan. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trust,_but_verify
I can relate to this.
I didn't realize it until someone where I managed an office said don't worry about taking off, Linda will do your job and everyone else's too
A good reminder this morning...I need to do this with the graphic designer and web developer...pronto!
NEVER ASSUME,AND TRUST NO ONE!
The lessons learned in the School of Hard Knocks are the ones that stay with you the longest.
...haha... leave nothing to chance...
WORD OF THE DAY? CAN YOU SAY....
"FOLLOW-UP"?
CHEERS!
~Rhonda
I've done quite a bit of management and I can certainly echo that statement. It is important however that you don't appear to be a manager, but rather appear as somebody interested in helping them do their job.
Don't just follow up step-wise on projects, instead take random samples of the work and look for errors. Offer suggestions for how to avoid them in the future.
Plus, having metrics to measure what is being done is a *huge* advantage. Though I suppose this comes quite late in most businesses.
"Trust but Verify" was a popular expression with the Soviets during the cold war era regarding nuclear disarmament. Sitting at the negotiations table, someone would assert that missiles had been decommissioned. Not to offend anyone’s feelings, the other side would say, “I trust what you say (I really don’t), but will you allow me to verify that?”
that's always been one of my favorite lines. I use it often with my three boys as well!
Delegating is the trickiest and most difficult aspects of any type of company or project management. After all, it is your baby (no pun intended), you thought of it, you developed it with your own blood, sweat and tears. How can you possibly hand that over to someone else, no matter how competent they might be?
The trick is to hand over small portions of the process to trusted individuals while maintaining control over the big picture yourself. Require ongoing short bullet points reports all along the way so you and quickly skim them and determine if a potential problem exists. And speaking of problems, build a sense of trust and mutual respect among your workers so that they know they can come to you with a simple problem before it becomes a major problem. So often I have seen people terrified to report small problems because the boss might chew them a new one, only to find the problems grow to the point of causing irreparable damage.
And never completely let go of what your are meant to control. You will build up enough confidence in and knowledge of your workers to know what you can and cannot give to them. Give them what you can but always know what is going on.
I'm the same way, in terms of being a "control freak" and at the same time, complaining that I end up doing all the work, haha. I too am trying to let go, and delegate. And will verify as well. Thanks once more, for stating what may seem obvious, but helps immensely in bringing it back into focus. Cheers.
A very good advice every business owner should learn even if it's not that simple sometimes..
I never liked that Reagan quote. If you trust and have to verify then you are not really trusting are you? I'd say the verify part is good but again that means you didn't trust. Trust is not always warranted as your experience showed. There is a point when working with people when you can trust but not until they have earned it by a record of reliability.
It goes further back that Regan. It's like “Trust Allah but tie your camel.” But really it means when you delegate, do it thoroughly. Don't just say it once and assume it's done. Confirm that it's done. Set up a system to make sure that it's done. -- Derek
music being derek
of course you verify with anything of importance.
so many bussinesses get ripped by their bookkeeper, i can't believe that people gave all that money to bernie madof (spelling?) and didn't check him out.
wasn't billy joel robbed by pen & paper by one of his ex-inlaws?
even though i'm no longer the director of www.lehighvalleymusicawards.org i check to see that everything is doing... and the new director is doing it really great
trust no one other than the facts.
bright musical ways
ian
john mcgrail wrote
"warranted as your experience showed. There is a point when working with people when you can trust but not until they have earned it by a record of reliability."
music being john
then i would watch more so, people can have a drug or gambling or i don't give a fuck anymore habit.
and you won't know it until all the money is gone or the work didn't get done.
bright musical ways
ian
Great Pic! Works great with your message. And if you don't mind me asking, where do you find your pics?
Thanks. I use Creative Commons licensed photos from flickr.com. If you do View Source to see the img tag in the HTML. This one, unfortunately, has been on my hard drive for years so I don't know the origin. -- Derek
Excellent point! One must constantly reinforce the message to be sure that directions are understood. Also to be sure the answers given to follow up questions actually answer the questions. A good example was that I had two crews, one that spoke only English which is the only language I speak well. The other crew spoke mainly Spanish but a few crew members could speak some English. Since I knew I had to constantly reinforce the directions I gave to the Spanish speaking crew I made a point to be sure our communications were as clear as possible. The redundancy was humorous at times but it worked. The English speaking crew however wound up having the problems because when I gave direction to the crew they would act like they understood what I wanted but inevitably would do something different or completely wrong. I now use redundancy with everyone especially my kids and have them repeat back directions just so I know that we are all sure of the task at hand.
It's not really about trust! When hiring and checking references you then assume trust or you go nuts. The real problem in relationships is understanding what people are saying, meaning and their timing. What means one thing to me, when said, might mean something all together different to some one else. Our minds are totally different from one person to another. People will even agree with us but assume we meant something entirely different from whats in our mind compared to theirs. Our belief systems alone contribute immensely to this confusion which keeps us from even seeing the real physical world. However industry has come up with many systems checks and balances to almost completely offset these problems. This is one of the advantages of working in a large corporation at least for a while. I've noticed that people that haven't have a complete lack of these kinds of skills and tools.
Trust makes the world go round but assumption is the mother of all mess-ups.
To take this concept one step further: Delegate the verification !
This is a method I resorted to as my teams were growing. Name the effort a project and assign a project manager to it. This can be a rotating role. So at the sam time “Jim” can be the project manager for one project where “Julie” has tasks, and “Julie” can be the project manager of another project in which “Jim” has tasks. You still need to check with your project managers periodically. But it gets you evan one more step away from doing everything yourself and micromanaging.
Very smart! Good one. -- Derek
I'm right there with you on not wanting to let go of just "doing it myself". That's still a daily struggle, but necessity forces me onward. People thing music or entertainment in general is a 'casual' career, and they have a tendency, if they're not extremely personally driven, to treat it casually--even if others are depending on them. I find it works best when I get a general vision for what I want the end goal to end up as, but get non-attached to that outcome, so I don't find fault in whatever my 'delegates' do, too.
But, communication is always key, sometimes even more than experience or talent. When working with clients in my production studio, I started to get a reputation as an 'over-communicator', which, you think would be a good thing, but turns out, can be a little much for some, so I've reeled it in a *tiny* bit. But it's still tops!
a related point to the truth of what has been stated... when i was a young boy i would hang with my uncle Hank who had survived hamburger hill, a battle in vietnam... he was quiet yet still kind... i asked him once 4 some life lesson he had learned that he could share with me... he said believe nothing of what U hear, and only half of what U see... and that seemed 2 satisfy me then and now...
Excellent post Derek, always true.
Delegation without Verification is as good as not done - its always important to keep a tab on all the delegated tasks with a quick status update!!
Absolutely! When I'm not singer-songwritering I work as an architectural designer. So plans I get from other engineers should be right. But I ALWAYS check those measurements anyway - and nine times out of ten there's some issue that would have been a disaster if I assumed those drawings were correct. "Measure twice, cut once".
Here's some language I use..."So you understand the project, right? Good. Listen, do you mind if I stay in the loop during it's completion? I'd like to be available to help if needed. You want to contact me, or should I contact you?"
I am so glad I don't have to associate every thought with "how to get someone else to do their job"...or even with "business models" for that matter...gee, I suppose Ghandi should have had a better verification system.
I was self-employed for 15 years with the same difficulty you had/have, Derek. I gotta do it myself. To this day I have to convince myself that I can hand a task to someone without me looking over a shoulder - doesn't happen often, and because of that I'm exhausted. Most of the time, even today, I'm disappointed in the end result of a project I didn't oversee, and usually "redo" the task. But then I learned that once I train someone to be my eyes and use my thoughts, and being patient about it, the end result is better than in the past. I sit next to the person and pointing with my finger, "see this? see that? that goes here, that goes there." Once they show me that I can trust them, then I find my "redoing" is less and less. Follow up is key. Hold them accountable every step of the way. Mini-micro manage is what I call it. But you're right - there are many forms of trust. I trust my Lord, but I don't trust the work of a human - doesn't mean I disrespect that person, it just means I have a different opinion of what I want done.
I'm not quite sure what the picture has to do with this post, but I like it.
Whether it's looking from the top down or from the bottom up, trust, like respect, has to be earned.
Usually, it's earned gradually.
Like, baby steps, daddy-o.
So when you're people are new to a task, it's on you to facilitate excellence, to provide just enough guidance so they don't screw up TOO badly the first time (just like YOU probably did).
Set parameters, clearly stated job performance requirements, measurable objectives, deadlines -- and get regularly-scheduled status reports.
Just my opinion.
sj
Never assume that people can work as fast as you can talk. I've found this to be a critical problem with many managers!
President Reagan said "Trust, but verify." all the time but he was regarded as an asshole. The problems you speak of can be avoided by hiring the right people and paying them enough. Most small business managers hire cheap and wonder why an employee isn't fully engaged in the job.
Trump's book does a good job of explaining this.
Even with the right people paid very well, it's important to make sure everything is mutually understood, and that a person's work is really what is needed. -- Derek
Communication goes a long way in verifying and helps understanding roadblocks that can be broken down to yield even greater success.
I tell you these points everyones been making here are really great bright ideas. I remember to take out material we all know so well before doing going to town full throttle. They call them post it notes, sticky notes those little pads reminding you every menial thing you need to do during the day. Mercy help me it entices the others helping out to sometimes follow suit
dude, this couldn't have come a better time for me.
We sure spend a lot of time thinking about what to do with other peoples time.
So true-and a great picture! Derek-I told you about this idea a long time ago, but it is finally becoming a reality. I created an event management calendar system that has this 'trust but verify' system built in. Tasks are assigned to various team members and they just get an email when the task is due. When they have completed the task, they just click a link within the email, and it gets marked as completed within the main calendar. All the manager does is look at their calendar and see if there are any incomplete tasks.
It's called Monkey Mind Manager,and it's here http://www.monkeycalendar.com/newhomepage.php
It's in beta and free for users-and your tip about odesk is what made it possible!
With love and gratitude,
Joel Laviolette
Yep, you got it! But, of course, there are always those rarely found employees who actually do things better than I do! Hard to find, and should be kept as long as possible. Over 40 years in the music business, I have found about 8 or 10, and I wish that I had one or two of them now! The good thing is that they are all still good people and I enjoy meeting them in social situations, they say such nice things about how much they LEARNED from me! So, running an business is not as easily done as it is pictured in the "management" best seller books sometimes espouse. When I do have an employee who is a continuing screw-up, I always remind myself of who did the hiring!
Best wishes
Gary
I have 40 students in a video production class that produces and broadcasts a daily television show for their school.
Everyone is working on something different and each project is on a different production schedule. I have to manage them individually and determine grades for their work.
I check in regularly, once a day if I can, with a quick check on progress and ask for a report on their status.
I assign a hard deadline for everyone on the same day (usually Friday) for the things I checked on during the week, which keeps it simple for me. I don't have a hard time remembering what I am supposed to check on for the deadline and everyone knows what they need to have ready for me.
I don't micro manage or nag, I simply hold people accountable. I keep a simple record of the things I am checking on. Everyone knows what I am asking for and there isn't much disagreement when I evaluate their work on the due date.
If things change during the week, I work with the student to create a reasonable expectation and make adjustments.
I appoint studio managers to help with technical issues and more advanced issues so I am not doing things someone else can do.
The MOST IMPORTANT time that I spend is in the development stage, the project gets started, to help shape a successful plan.
The more time I invest in refining concepts with people, and get the big picture up front, the less time I need to correct mistakes and fix problems in the end.
I have found this to work very well with young adults. My students respond well with this type of management/supervision and they produce at a higher level of quality and quantity.
Most of the time, we have fun and enjoy doing the job because the outcomes are mostly positive.
I liked the suggestion for http://www.rememberthemilk.com/
from post #11 Tom Hawkins and will see how it works for me.
Hi Derek. Trust really is the key factor in the art of delegation. If you don't fully trust who it is that you are delegating too, then you probably have to start at this point. When you feel as though you can trust that person or persons, then you allow for the follow up communication to see that the task has been accomplished to your satisfaction. I have struggled with delegation for years because when your own reputation is on the line, it is never racking to leave the job to chance. Thanks for sharing. Have a wonderful thanksgiving. Jim
Thanks Derek.
Love.
Paul.
Hi Derek. Trust really is the key factor in the art of delegation. If you don't fully trust who it is that you are delegating too, then you probably have to start at this point. When you feel as though you can trust that person or persons, then you allow for the follow up communication to see that the task has been accomplished to your satisfaction. I have struggled with delegation for years because when your own reputation is on the line, it is difficult to leave the job to chance. Thanks for sharing. Have a wonderful thanksgiving. Jim
That's the way things a gwaan , seen.
RASTAFARI
Love it
A few things come to mind; first Hershey Blanchard regarding Situational Leadership. People can act in various stages of being willing and or being able. Recognizing that and acting accordingly can help both parties to function happily together.
I feel trust is necessary in working together. But that doesn't mean everybody is always up to the task. There is also such a thing as competence or talent. Myers Briggs did some wonderful research with that on the Type Indicator.
Really helps me to find out what talent I need for a certain task. It also made me understand why some people act the way they do. Or not ;-) And understanding is a great way of finding trust in one another...
And any manager will work wonders with a dashboard. (love how that alliterates) As long as it gives an insight in what matters in the long run. Alas a lot of companies focus on short term results.
But still not sure how I can apply all this into my music ;-P. But it works in a band environment!
Thanks for the flashback, Peter
That is good sound advice! I'll take it. Thanks!
Derek, again, thanks for the reminder! and yeah GTD ROCKS!
always remember the 2-minute rule! 
I trusted that the order of the songs on my record A SACRED TANTRUM would be presented as I requested. The guy mastering at Bayside Studios in Bellingham, Washington decided that they were in the wrong order and re-arranged them to his liking! I think of the sequence of songs to be like the order of chapters in a book, so, deferring to his "superior knowledge in the studio" resulted in a CD that I do not like! Now,I need to warn people that the songs are in the WRONG ORDER! I should produce a disclaimer sticker to paste on top of the shrink wrap so that people don't need to hear my frustration with (what I call) studio trauma when they're just trying to support my musical efforts even though they still only want to hear the Waterfall Child CD! Oy Vay! Oh well.
"Inspect what you Expect"
There is an ancient saying, : Trust in Allah, and tie up your camel"
I think we need to differentiate between an active, organic trust, that requires having the ability to hear and feel if something rings true from a soul/heart vigilant level, and the other that happens, which is to unconsciously pass the buck to someone else because we ourselves have gone unconscious to what is true, or our own unwillingness to perceive our own lack of integrity.
Knowing how to take and face personal responsibility is an essential key to cooperation,co-creating, which perhaps is true success in any endeavor.
Sometimes the very thing a person needs is to feel a conscious, vigilant trust from another person whom they regard as processing integrity.
Feeling another's trust in you can inspire the person being trusted to move beyond their own doubts, calling them to a higher standard.
From the perspective of having a business,it all comes down to having a business simply for the profit margin, or having a business as one way to create opportunities to actively pursue conscious choices that liberate the soul of our work, leading to meaningful productivity for all involved.
I suspect that many a manager would suggest that the people who accuse managers of micromanaging are the ones who need the supervision the most. The term "trust me" from someone who has yet to earn it, is a strong clue to verify.
We trust the ones we vote for to protect our rights. We do not have a system of accountability, so they make the same mistakes over and over. It has resulted in us losing many of our God given freedoms to choose. They do not listen, nor do most care.
There is not a set way to make irresponsible people responsible, unless they can be held accountable for their decisions. To do this we would need every bill Congress makes, to be ratified by the states before it becomes law. One vote by each state, regardless of the population.
Government is a business, and now greed, dishonesty, and popularity elects people. There are answers, but total trust in them making our decisions has resulted in an economic, ethical, and financial disaster. It depends on the circumstances, and the kind of business you are in. There has to be accountability, for any situation to be prosperous. You have been much more successful then I, in business and finances, but there is other areas. Are you successful in your spiritual Journey. Everything is fleeting except who we are to God. Quote from the Bible, "Those without knowledge shall, perish."
Is that the knowledge of what we each know about our earthly experience, or God's knowledge? I have found through experience it is the latter. If we follow the latter, we can be trusted in any endeavor to do our best, and we would make sure what we are doing is right for the boss. Check in when the job is done, or when you have an idea to improve on what the boss wants. Helen
Trust you building up in steps
This verify is what I was asked in Europe when establishing my office there. Why? The questions kept coming from people that didn't understand that everywhere we verify if someone was going to build a room on our house if their work was good prior as well as we watch as it's being completed. This is no different in any business but hard for me to explain to some people. THANK YOU again for showing others the wisdom of your experience which also validates my own
Nikki
This is why I stayed with your company as I (TTP'd it) trusted, tested, & it proved it's service.
In the world of accounting I always had to go back to see if the other accountants had corrected errors I found. One time I did not check back and I lost the project. The error was so great and my manager was fired up. I hated I did not get back with the person. I had to clean up the mess before turning it over to my supervisor. In my case I let other issues I was having side tract me.
Oh, forgot to add that CJP-NHRecords, Inc. started on a shoestring budget from investors back in 1988 and went to corporation in 2008. Sometimes my trusting does get the better of me as I am human but the verification issue are really not an insult to anyone when everyone does like to share their accomplishments. I had to learn that was the key to asking for verification and learning how to ask is another key...now I go back to my key chains of various things from time to time for different projects. Have one currently that is sharing a lot with others too. That's part of the real business bottom line when it comes to talent. Thank God for yours too!
Ciao~!Nikki
Derek,
When I read your posts, this quote comes to mind;
'When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be.'
~ Lao Tzu
Simple fundamentals sometime need other fundamentals to back them up.
In speech making, as in delegation:
Tell them what you're going to tell them (Context)
Tell them (Details)
Tell them what you told them (Summary and Reinforcement)
Within this framework:
What is to be done
Why
How
Where
When
Lastly, you need to hear -- from the delegate -- what they think they heard.
Clarify, if necessary.
Rinse. Repeat.
Ha-ha Derek....I am doing so much myself that my head is ringing with it but I do find that when working with musicians who take 3 times longer to produce a weaker result doing it yourself can be the only way to get things done !!
Life is full of delegation, You never know who you can trust, I don t even trust my own mind, I think shit , and think what the fuck are thinking about that for.
GUILTY! I've always considered myself as a poor manager of people. I am still learning the art of delegating task. If I had my way, I would perfer to work totally independent from the Company, but I'm learning, to Trust by Verify very important for the survival of the business.
My wife and I are both professional communicators. Do you think we always understand each other?
As a band member and occasional band leader I'd say your post paints an accurate picture of proper teamwork too. The older I get I always seem to bump into this situation. In freelance gigs verification is essential as you need to know to what exactly have you been commisioned to and in projects what is expected of you and what is expected from other team members. So it's not just boss-employee thingy but a universal communication and doublechecking stuff thingy...
Who can argue with experience being the best teacher,
And the greatest glory lies not in falling but rising every time we fall.
Wow - some of these comments are quite interesting, and a tad harsh.
A wise man who promoted someone into a role they ultimately couldn't perform once told me this:
If someone isn't doing a good job -it's probably just because they'd be better at something else. A good employer/manager takes the time to find them the "right seat on the bus".
Great article. I'm so guilty of that. As a band leader I get so frustrated; I end up doing everything myself, which leads me to resentment and a feeling of being totally overwhelmed. I'm still not good at delegating but at least now I know that it's my fault if I end up doing it all myself. It's about being a great leader who also knows when to follow; about team effort. I also think giving others responsibility makes them feel more involved and important, which can only lead to a better relationship. Thanks for the reminder Derek;)
Months of orders unfilled? Money missing? That's not a case of micromanage or not, that's plain incompetence and theft.
And that's definitely not the experience I had with CD Baby during your tenure, everyone was aces. Glad you got rid of the others.
PS: My credo as an employee is:
Do not seek confidants.
Focus on task.
Go home.
Good advice. Like the thoughts on getting people to send a report/update with what they're doing. Also works great to schedule a daily call at the beginning of the day with your team leaders. 10 minutes where everybody can update you on where things are. Then you let them do there jobs and don't worry about it...
By the way, http://www.topgrading.com/ has some great info on how to pick the right people. That's 90% of it.
This just means that Muckwork will be even more sucessful than cd baby because of all these wonderful lessons you learned!
so you really want to talk shop?
.. A friend and I were talking about a repeating phenomena within the autocracy of a company. A staff is hired and the delegation process begins. This is also where the dumbing down process begins.
While any owner should actively hire people smarter than themselves they often don't. This second generation will absolutely actively identify and dispose of any upcoming talent that may bypass them in the promotions hierarchy.
A super smart person can only rise to the top by slipping past the opposition in a roper doper type of move that could take years. Most brilliant people can't or will not play dumb for that long. Think about it . They were probably hired by third or forth generation. They are weeding out the opposition too. Company owners need to hire as far down the line as possible and be active throughout the lineage of the corporate structure or forgo bringing rising stars on board.
Failing to identify new talent is every companies weakest link.
Derek, There are probably thousands of people templating the Derek Sivers business model. The one you started the business with ..soo quit beating up on yourself.
They are the same fucking people who will write books about you, and people like you will read them and think about all the mistakes they made.
If you could develop a business model that rewarded up, as better and better people were hired then you would be a certifiable genius.
It all starts at the top and goes down or up from there.
I'm sick of talking about business how about art or music?
kw
My husband and I learned that years
ago when we were involved with 3
different businesses at the same time. You can assign different jobs to different people but still
have someone to check the results and also check the checker. It's a
little involved but necessary.
i have worked in supervision most of my life and have learned that your people do what u inspect not what u expect
Admiral Rickover, the father of the Nuclear Navy, had a saying that I live by: "You get what *inspect*, not what you *expect*"
Trust, but verify. I totally agree.
Very good point! A quick check in the early days. It goes across the board though. Im am dong a big editing job now. If i checked that auto focus was the best setting to use i wouldnt be turning blue right nw as i watch all 36 short videos going in and out of focus!!!
http://www.darbukaplayer.com
great timeless post, Derek. I have learned that when you have people working for you or even just "with"
you, you often have to tell someone
they need to get something done not once, but anywhere from 5 to 10 times. even people who act like they love you and lean on every word that you say have to be checked on very often. anybody who is going to manage people has to become a fearless manager without necessarily becoming an asshole. I'm sure THAT has been done at least a few times.
keep sending great stories and problems.
Dear Derek:
This quote Trust but Verify was supposedly a favourite one of Felix Edmundovich Dzerzhinsky, builder of the Soviet secret police. I don't think he followed it.
Joe P.
"DON'T LET THAT DEAL GO DOWN" - GREATFUL DEAD. I THINK IS AN APPROPRIATE TUNE TO PLAY RIGHT NOW. THANK YOU FOR SHARING THE LESSONS YOU HAVE LEARNED ALONG THE ROAD TO YOUR SUCCESS AND YOUR GREAT ABILITY TO HUMBLY SHARE YOUR UNIQUE EXPERIENCES. YOUR A GREAT TEACHER!
This is an excellent string of comments. Very helpfull.One of the things I learned in the military as an NCO (former life) was to get what we called a "back brief". In other words, once you explain to someone the task you've just assigned them, ask them how they understood what you just said. There are many ways you can get the back brief without sounding condescending, but then you will know that you communicated correctly the task and they understood. One way is to ask, "So tell me what your first steps are going to be." Don't let them walk away without knowing where they're headed first! You know? This is how you can check in and see progress and give guidance if needed.
Trust but verify in this bad world economic?
I can't even say how relevant this is to me right now.
I am currently in the process of learning this lesson.
the first thing they teach you in business school is to hire people smarter than you. In that case trust would not be an issue
A lot of insight with just three words. Thanks for sharing.
Derek, how would you deal with certain people who are extremely useful or talented for your project/company, but still require a lot of "verification" in order to get a job done?
- Sridhar
http://blog.sridharsmusic.com/
For my teams I have them write up quarterly goals with specific measures of success and completion. We then review them together as a team so 1) we get group think to improve on them 2) hold each other accountable to realistic goals 3) are informed of what each is doing 4) I can verify, add my input, and direct them before they get started.
We do a mid quarter check-in and then a final grading at the end of the quarter as well. It works great... I get to clarify, verify, keep the team in sync, and hold the team accountable towards meeting their goals.
Agreed there Derek,
Another point I would add to that would be to actually listen peoples advice when they are willing to offer it. I have found that since starting my company, there was so much I did not know and that there were so many people who were willing to help. With not only great advice but also with lessons that they themselves had learned. Since I am pretty sure I never listened to anyone when I was in my band including you, I have rectified that mistake now that I run a business that is requiring me to delegate allot for the first time.
So thanks for your advice mate.
Much appreciated.
Benji
One of my previous employers had an 'empowerment framework' which was quite useful. For each project, your role had one of three empowerment levels: Go, Go and Let Know, and Ask then Go. You would have different levels in different projects. It was flavour of the month and disappeared after a while but it always struck me as clear and concise.
It,s best to have what i,ve coined flowing trust., it,s knowing u have that with a simple look or nod of the head that ucan freefall and know u can rely on your staff toget it done
Thank you for the advise and this topic seems to never ending battle.
A good checks and balance system will help to ensure everyone is meeting schedules, comittments, instill office pride and guarrantee management trusts.I know, it was hard for me to trust but at some point you have to because you can't go-it-alone.It is also called empowerment...
I think you're on target here, Derek. You know, it's usually seemingly small things that tend to cause the biggest problems and also that make things succeed. As the old saying goes, "the devil's in the details."
You are so right on with that!
Have you read that little book called The Four Agreements by Don Miguel-Ruiz?
1. Be Impeccable with your word
2. Don't take anything personally
3. Don't make assumptions
4. Do your best
This book is what I used for employees and was great (and was translated in Thai and Russian when I was working with staff there). But the key for me when delegating was to not "assume" that they know what's going on in my brain. If I am impeccable with my word and take the time to communicate my thoughts, assumptions do not have to be made and then no one takes it personally when it all goes wrong. I feel these agreements help save a lot of wasted energy in any environment (work, relationships, etc).
Derek,thankyou for the post but,you've heard it before and so have we."You want something done properly than do it yourself"or put a training programme in place for all to adhere to.Nomore problems.
Pete
Trust but verify.
Thanks for the tips.
Buon........pensiero
AAAAh your sense of humour shines my friend.
There is a really serious undertone though. I hear the message.
The way you suggest nice guys finish first!
It is so very difficult to get anoth, human too on the exact wave length you are on. I have also experienced that.
They look you in the eye and say I know I know, no prob's right on, gotcha, yupper I'll do that right away. But are they really getting the thing! Hmmmm. It's so hard not to check along the way without becoming a crazy maker or ruining the good feeling of inspiration.
I guess when all things come down to the crunch there is a level of acceptance that we have to have in order to have any serenity.
If it's something that can be fixed, corrected and remanaged no probs. but when devastation like money missing or things that can't be changed then we have no choice but to do it another way next time.
I think I completly love the learning process and I really love the way you figured out how to make it work but still be upbeat and friendly.
I try never to get angry about anything. It's difficult to do. I find anger is infectious and so very destructive. I always try another way. Sometimes the only way to make a positive change is to express disapproval.
Your solutions are always amazing Derek. You remain my hero for another day Buddy!
John David Hart
Buddhaboy
(just don't call me late for dinner)Well, unless it's fish, I like cold fish.
I just thought about this issue this morning...
I just learned this lesson AGAIN. After giving very detailed instructions and a music video of one minute of my new single to a drummer, whom I sang background for...he totally missed the boat when rendering a drum track for me...he emailed it to me through 'yousendit' and caused me to halt my progress and lose a bit of cash...yuck. I've relearned this lesson throughout my career...does it ever stop? LOL - Anyway, using my drum machine, I completed my drum track to my personal specifications. I'm looking forward to graduating from the grammar school of "Trust but verify!" By now, I should have received my doctorate...Hah!
Hi Derek!
For me, I need managers to move the business side of things...I can write songs,paint,do pottery ect. and produce much product. I like to, but I am not good at all at moving the material. I am reliant on others and their work ethic, or time spent on the tech side of things..I work hard and finish projects readily but can't do the other side of things.. Sometimes, I feel unhappy with the pace of things but I have no control over that. Also, in a band you have to consider everyone else's needs. They may not move as quickly either..so whether I am ready or not, I trust providence to take my bike ride seriously and keep a path ahead of me. I try to also enjoy the ride and if I have to ride around in circles waiting....I try to notice all the beauty around me..!!
Have a nice day Derek!
Rachel
i love old sayings...when the cat's away the mice will play.
I have always said the talent pool is alot thinner than you think
Peace, jason
Very similar to QA (quality assurance) as required with ISO Certification.
One of my jobs years ago was a QA Assesor and I reported to one boss.
His trust was in me and I never let him down.
thanks for the advice
this is VERY useful as we build out our company. thanks for sharing derek...
No harm in verifying, much danger in not verifying. Great reminder! Thanks Dee.
Yep... exactly. This is how I run my band and it works very well. It's also how I run my other businesses. I know I can't do it all and it's essential to follow-up. Most people have trouble with the following-up part. It's something that needs to be taught in our school system to us when we are young.
People do what you INSPECT; now what you EXPECT.
Thank you for you great advice
although i will make many mistakes
and learn my own way
Appreciated
Yes excellent points, I try to follow the same philosophy, it's bad enough when not following that advice can lead to loss of money, efficiency, and added aggravation...sometimes double or even triple checking isn't a bad idea when I can involve matters even more serious than money (as if that weren't serious enough)...
Very Best Regards,
George
Good advice and I guess the trick is to keep your eye on everything without being over bearing or obvious.
This I found to be true , as well suffered consequences from failing to do so
Aleee
fo muthu fukin real.
Unless there is absolute accountability and transparency then trust is a word for suckers. Government, religion, and business are replete with stories of rampant corruption and abuse because of breakdowns in the system of checks and balances where people are given too much autonomy and "trusted" to do what's right. Unfortunately, most people do what's right for THEM in the short term if they can get away with it even when it hurts them in the long run. Where there is power there is the abuse of power and trust is its bastard lovechild.
I had a Boss in the late 1980's where I worked in Toronto ON Canada for 3 years at a PR/Advertising Firm...Where I was a Switchboard Operator/Receptionist and a Jr. Secretary...she made me fill out a "Time Sheet" for every job duty and detail I did from the time I started work at 9:30AM To the end of the day at 5:30PM. I think she was trying to write the ultimate book called; "Girl Power"! But, I managed to get a raise every six months
Wow - you may have just saved me a lot of headaches, Derek! I'll be opening a nightclub next year, and I'll take all the pointers I can get.
Great concept. Trying too hard NOT to micro-manage is dangerous. But in my experience, the better your team, the less urges you'll have to micromanage. Of course sometimes you have to take a leap of faith to gauge the quality of your team.
True words indeed...Unfortunately, this is something I've learned with my most recent cdbaby project...Things that I took for granted as being handled, were never done...And only done when I followed up...
I always check everything in my day job but recently didn't check something with my band's admin person. Someone asked us to play a charity gig. He got back to them and said we could. We all assumed we would hear back from them if everything was going ahead. 2 days ago, the organiser emailed me asking why our headlining spot wasn't on our website. luckily, the band was available and since it was for charity and I believe in paying it forward, we are able to do it.I believe that people make mistakes; assume that and put systems in place to minimise these. So I am preparing a booking form even for non paying gigs. I have learned a valuable lesson and that's all you can ask for. It could have been worse!
I could write beautifully everything that was said above with different words....
... but once I saw the picture of Derek's choice, I couldn't help laughing out loud.
... this image expresses exactly how it feels to fail in business...lol, perfectly!
You have loads of agreement here and I want to add mine. I was just telling someone what to watch out for with a certain contractor and this phrase hit me immediately. When I looked at you blog entry, I remembered how often that I simply told people to do something and waited to see if everything went well or not. Often, it did not and I knew better than to simply delegate, although that is what I would do. It was due to a certain amount of fear and bad training in the art of giving the staff more responsibility. Thanks for your entry and the others’ comments.