Here’s what I figured out very early in my 23-year tenure running RBP: the most important thing is to hire great people – people who do what they do better than I can – then get out of their way and let them do it.
I got to where I am today because I was a strong sales guy, but also because I knew my strengths AND my limitations in our business. I didn’t get to where I am today because I micromanaged my team as if I could do any of their jobs better than they can.
I can’t, and realizing that early on has been an asset to me. As one of many examples . . . when one of our producers brings me a budget, I review it, but almost never question it. Our people have proven time and again that they know how to budget effectively, providing maximum value for our clients while seeing to it that we can remain profitably in business. I know that our producer and technical director did a lot of painstaking background work to arrive at the underlying costs they’re putting on my desk.
I simply don’t have the skill to do what they do and, given their track record, I’m happy to place my faith in them.
The bottom line is that micromanaging makes your business less efficient, and it makes your employees feel like they’re disposable. Stepping back and letting your people do their thing – especially with new hires – tells them that they’re valued, that you hired them for a reason, and, most importantly, that you trust them.
If you don’t believe in them enough to do that, then you have bigger problems.
