You Have an Illness

Okay, so you’re the one with most of the knowledge and experience in your office, and it’s all too tempting to answer every question and make every decision for your advisors and staff. I call this Almanacus-Quarterbackus Syndrome. You have allowed yourself to become everyone’s almanac or quarterback. Your first thought is, well, since I know the answer or can cut through the data and make the decision, it will save everyone time if I just give it to them. The problem is, it is not your role to save the staff time; it is theirs to save yours. You are the million-dollar thoroughbred. Your staff must learn to research their own answers, and you must empower them to make their own decisions. Every new team member goes through a learning curve with me.  A usual exchange goes something like this.

“Hey, Noel.  How do I [insert task]?”

“Don’t use my brain.”

“But, I don’t know how to [insert task]!”

“I’ll have to charge you, and you may have to sign a lease agreement.  I am not sure you can afford the rent on my brain.  It is very high.”

“Huh?  Why can’t you just tell me how to [insert task]?

“Because I’m teaching you two principles: 1. my time is best spent seeing clients, and 2. your job is to keep me in the conference room.”

“Gotcha! Where do I go for the answer?”

“Attagirl!  Now you’re catching on! Contact [insert person with answer].”

It takes a little time, but eventually the new staffer gets it and starts to assimilate into our culture.  When she does, it is then that she really starts to become useful.  If she doesn’t get it, she needs to be replaced by someone who will.  This may sound crass, but the best thing I can do for someone who can’t get it is release her so she can find the right position for herself; one where she will be able to get it and become a productive part of a team.  I owe it to her, and I owe it to my team.

Almanacus

Ever find yourself answering the same questions for the same people, over and over again? You have become a thumb-indexed, quick reference set. Why should anyone remember the information you so happily provide? They will continue to return to the well until the well runs dry. Look, you’ve hired some pretty smart folks.  They are very capable, or you would not have recruited them. Better that you stop answering questions about operations, new business processing, interest rates, dividends, home office policies, technical financial terms, etc., and send them scurrying off to find their own answers. This will cost them considerable time and effort that they will not be willing to spend a second time on the same information. When you say, “No,” you are investing in their education.  When they find their own answers, they will become their own almanac.

How did you learn to use a dictionary?  Your mom probably refused to answer the question, “Gee, Mom, how do you spell [insert any word here]?”  Instead of telling you how to spell the word, she told you to, “Look it up for yourself.”  While this seemed unusually cruel and lazy on her part at the time, the result was that you developed the skill of not only looking up the spelling of a word, but you also gained the knowledge of the definitions of those words.  You can thank your mom for your dictionary knowledge and skills.

Now, let’s be clear.  I am not suggesting that you should refuse to train your staff.  Of course, they will need to be trained.  But, your involvement in their training should be strictly limited to the basics of the position (duties, expectations, etc.) that simply can’t be handled by anyone else.  If there is someone else in the office, or at the home office, or at the vendor’s or carrier’s office, who can train them on the rest, let those other people handle it from there.  Your job is done. Once the initial training is complete, which includes learning where to go for information, turn them loose to get their own answers.  You’ll be doing them and yourself a favor in the long run.

Stay tuned for Part II…