Learning to Delegate

“When I came on board as general manager in 2006, P&K Equipment had 4 stores. I jumped in and really took over doing a lot of things, being a leader and became very engaged from a tactical standpoint. Looking back, I probably got a little too engaged and it’s been tough to let some of that go.

“If I had to do it over again, there would be things that I started out doing that I should have had somebody else do from the get-go. Advertising is one of example.

“I jumped in and took it over because nobody was doing it and marketing and advertising is a passion of mine. It was the same way when I was with Deere working with dealers. I was eager to help and became very hands-on. This tendency has continued at P&K with several things, but many are things that most general managers don’t get nearly as engaged in as I do. If I had not started doing some of these things from the get-go, it probably would have freed me up a little more today.

“In many ways, it can be a detriment to take things on because you’re passionate and you just want to run with it. I could have probably done a better job of delegating upfront than what I did. This is something I would suggest that young managers consider when they’re just getting started.”