How many monkeys do you have on your back?

A classic piece published by Harvard Business Review in December 1974 describes this monkey-on-the-back analogy of how managers spend so much time and energy trying to address problems jumping from the backs of their bosses, peers, and subordinates.

You must delegate tasks correctly and ensure that concerns are resolved without carrying everything on your own. Get the monkeys off your back to do your best work and not be bogged down.

On taking ownership and assessing 'Where did I go wrong?" If the tasks are unaccomplished or failed, consider if you have clearly defined what should have been the outcome. Think of yourself as a painter. You have to study every detail that will go into the perfect picture you imagine creating. Pass the vision you expect everybody to accomplish and clearly explain what the image of success should look like.

The way to simplicity is in the details. If we want a system to run simply and repeatedly, a detailed plan ensures nothing goes wrong. Set individual instructions for specific execution and teach at the granular level for each one to understand the purpose of their role.

If we want people in our team to do a great job and do it as well as we want to be done, they need to know WHY we're doing it. If they understand the why, they are far better at the how and get sold in the mission, motivated to get more skin in the game.

Eliminate the shadows. Blind spots can be the Achilles heel of any company. We can purposefully seek other perspectives to illuminate the different aspects of our projects that we cannot see. The more we limit our blind spots, the higher our effectiveness.

Tune in to this episode of the Team:Engineered show — Getting the Monkeys Off Your Back with Jade Green & Kyle Probert. ▶️

Key points covered in this episode:

[00:04:20] The story of ownership and why it is all your fault

[00:06:57] Paint that picture of success right down to the absolute detail

[00:09:06] Uncovering the problem behind the problem

[00:13:06] Remind team members of the value of each task and the purpose of their role

[00:14:41] The importance of mapping out the milestones

[00:16:59] Eliminating the shadows and blind spots

[00:18:41] Success relies on the simplicity and repeatable process

[00:25:02] The value of documenting each step

[00:31:02] Stop feeding the monkeys

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ABOUT TEAM:ENGINEERED

Team: Engineered is your go-to podcast for all things team building and business scaling. With a focus on the human aspect of business rather than just numbers and statistics, hosts Jade Green and Kyle Probert will be giving you simple systems and processes that you can implement immediately to see positive growth in the culture and profits of your business. Learn more and visit www.teamengineered.com

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