The rules in the Gates-Grottveit household are simple: last
one out of the bed makes it; keep non-food things off the kitchen counters
where food is prepared; feed Blade (the younger puppy) at 5:30 pm, and feed
Vader (the adult dog) and Bella (the elderly cat) at 6:30 pm; and he/she who is
better at something is the one who does that thing. What that means,
practically speaking, is that Ann handles the finances and I handle the
laundry. Ann cleans inside the house, I
clean outside the house. Ann handles our
family social activities, I handle the maintenance and upkeep of our cars. You
get the drift.
one out of the bed makes it; keep non-food things off the kitchen counters
where food is prepared; feed Blade (the younger puppy) at 5:30 pm, and feed
Vader (the adult dog) and Bella (the elderly cat) at 6:30 pm; and he/she who is
better at something is the one who does that thing. What that means,
practically speaking, is that Ann handles the finances and I handle the
laundry. Ann cleans inside the house, I
clean outside the house. Ann handles our
family social activities, I handle the maintenance and upkeep of our cars. You
get the drift.
 |
| (Vader – larger and Blade – smaller) |
 |
| (Bella) |
Simple, right? Ann would fade and shrink and discolor our
clothing, and she can’t iron at all. I would quickly, stylishly, bankrupt the
Gates-Grottveit conglomerate by buying everything and anything that suited my
fancy at the time. We’ve learned that it’s best and things run the most
efficiently and smoothly if we each stay in our respective lanes. There are some caveats to this, however. We
reserve the right to delegate these tasks to our 13 year-old boy-child, and our
almost 11 year-old girl-child for the sake of their development. Face it, they’ll
both need to learn to cook, manage their own finances, and clean, etc. What
better learning laboratory for those domestic tasks is there than the home,
right?
clothing, and she can’t iron at all. I would quickly, stylishly, bankrupt the
Gates-Grottveit conglomerate by buying everything and anything that suited my
fancy at the time. We’ve learned that it’s best and things run the most
efficiently and smoothly if we each stay in our respective lanes. There are some caveats to this, however. We
reserve the right to delegate these tasks to our 13 year-old boy-child, and our
almost 11 year-old girl-child for the sake of their development. Face it, they’ll
both need to learn to cook, manage their own finances, and clean, etc. What
better learning laboratory for those domestic tasks is there than the home,
right?
Now don’t get me wrong… We don’t totally abdicate these
tasks to the other. We have a system of checks and balances that keep each
other “honest” and informed. Absolute
power does corrupt absolutely, and all that. There’s also the “in case you’re
hit by a bus” contingency as well. We have regular briefings to keep each other
updated on the goings-on of the other’s area of expertise. I call that oversight.
tasks to the other. We have a system of checks and balances that keep each
other “honest” and informed. Absolute
power does corrupt absolutely, and all that. There’s also the “in case you’re
hit by a bus” contingency as well. We have regular briefings to keep each other
updated on the goings-on of the other’s area of expertise. I call that oversight.
Ultimately, we are each responsible to the other for the
conduct of the business that is our marriage and our household. Yes, I said
it… Marriage IS a business.
conduct of the business that is our marriage and our household. Yes, I said
it… Marriage IS a business.
The same holds for more conventional business. If there’s an
area of your business, be you an owner, a senior-level executive, a director or
manager, or a staff member or associate, if there’s something you’re not good
at, DELEGATE it to someone who is. The caveat to that is, especially applicable
to those at the staff-associate level, you may well have to get training and
acquire that expertise yourself. Otherwise, you’ve been hired, selected,
appointed, or otherwise chose to embark on that path because of your
qualifications and potential, so if there’s a specific aspect you’re not good at,
get help and get someone in there to manage that for you.
area of your business, be you an owner, a senior-level executive, a director or
manager, or a staff member or associate, if there’s something you’re not good
at, DELEGATE it to someone who is. The caveat to that is, especially applicable
to those at the staff-associate level, you may well have to get training and
acquire that expertise yourself. Otherwise, you’ve been hired, selected,
appointed, or otherwise chose to embark on that path because of your
qualifications and potential, so if there’s a specific aspect you’re not good at,
get help and get someone in there to manage that for you.
As with the example for my home-life, that delegation does
NOT mean abdication. You remain responsible for everything your enterprise does
and everything it fails to do. You’ve got to check, follow-up, insure,
question, and all the other common-sense things that go along with delegation.
NOT mean abdication. You remain responsible for everything your enterprise does
and everything it fails to do. You’ve got to check, follow-up, insure,
question, and all the other common-sense things that go along with delegation.
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You’ll find that doing this makes you a better, more
effective leader, business-owner, staff-member, associate (not to mention
partner or husband/wife). You’ll have more time to think, to plan, to expand
and to execute your vision.
effective leader, business-owner, staff-member, associate (not to mention
partner or husband/wife). You’ll have more time to think, to plan, to expand
and to execute your vision.
That’s the point!
– Tony
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