“Practice the simple act of saying “good enough!” and “good enough—for now”. ~ Dan Millman
In order to effectively communicate (and train) replacing yourself in your current role, you need to be able to articulate the what, why and how.
The weekly practice of “Replacing yourself” will create a win (boss)/win (you)/win (your replacement), every single time.
1. The Law of System
If you can’t hand over what you are currently doing to someone else and have them follow a step-by-step process and get the same results you get, then you ain’t living the law of system. It is imperative when you are going through your transition phase that every single step, no matter how “no duh” they seem, is written and has a “Step X” in front of it. Break it down into small steps; write them down and make a checklist. See the stepping-stones from where you are to where you want to be. Casual verbal references to “the way we do things” or hoarding onto work so others have to come to you for the secret decoder doesn’t work. The law of System not only allows you to “get rid of it” but sets the stage for the next phase when you find yourself “moving on up”. Remember, every time you replace yourself, there is someone 1 step behind you and someone 1 step ahead of you. Not to mention, it’s great to shine the systems you have created as a vehicle for show and tell when it comes time for annual reviews, pay raise proposals and new position openings.
2. The Law of Growth
The best way to do this is to continually test if you are living in the comfort zone or living in the growth zone. Are you feeling challenged and exhausted while exhilarated at the end of your day? This is the comfort test. This also allows you to demonstrate to the boss they are getting the greatest return on their biggest investment; you. Staying on a growth track will show your employer you’re worth every penny and then some, especially when companies are looking for ways to reduce expenses, collapse roles or justify paying you what you are worth.
3. The Law of Accountability
Life is about accountability. If you don’t share what you are up to with the people you work with, your chances of action and success decrease considerably. Reporting and tracking what you are up to and sharing it with everyone in the office in an organized manner (weekly meetings) will allow you to not only achieve your goals but also creating top of mind awareness on a weekly basis about what you’ve accomplished and what you are up to for the week.
4. The Law of Communication
Sending e-mail, voicemails and texts, because it’s faster than actually talking with people, is not living the law of Communication in today’s automated, hi-tech atmosphere that actually creates more damage and allows us to hide out vs. personally connecting and relating with another. The quality of your relationships is directly tied to the quality of your life.
5. The Law of Revocability
Replacing Yourself and creating your new role is not a forever. Simply “try it on” and if it doesn’t fit like you thought it would, it is completely revocable. There is never punishment for stepping up, systematizing and leading in the workplace. Give yourself permission to take it on, try it on and then redesign it if the current role is not a right fit for you.
6. The Law of Pride
Having a commitment to being right and declaring it all not only will halt your livelihood, as it shows that you’re uninterested in learning ideas and approaches, but will also send red flags to everyone around you that your world is all about you. When it comes to replacing yourself and training the “new you” provide acknowledgement, praise, allow questions, stay current and listen to their suggested new ideas.Take on that you can be a “cause in the matter” but give credit to others contribution; you’ll be seen as a team player, a leader and a driving force to the thriving group. We’re not saying take a back seat. Bragging is one thing, but tracking and sharing success through project management, system creation and successful revenue tracking and other tools is another. There is value of sharing your accomplishments as long as you go about it in the right way with pride, inspiration and a spirit of “Pay it Forward”. It will always come back to you.
7. The Law of Enrollment
The key ingredient to replacing yourself is enrolling others. If you choose to “do it all” you WILL (notice we did not say may, could or possibly) fail. Your boss doesn’t have time to keep a running tab on each employee, so how else will your boss know how valuable you are to the company unless you tell him? Bragging is one thing, but letting colleagues in your industry know of your success through case studies, promotional bulletins or other such tools is another. It’s important to recognize the value of letting others know about your accomplishments as long as you go about it in the right way.
8. The Law of Perspective
Despite our best attempts to do everything right, they may sometimes approach roadblocks and need to seek the advice and perspective of a respected friend, colleague or even a business coach. Acknowledging that you aren’t perfect will earn you respect in the office.
The Law of Replacing yourself allows you to feel good about letting go “how i used to do it”, allows you to create a bigger further for another who was comfortable with “a good enough employee”. Together, we are transforming the employee role; we are creating intrapreneuers in an entrepreneur’s world. For the first time we are able to live one for all and all for one in a way that everyone wins. It is no longer about climbing the proverbial ladder, alone. Imagine your daily life if you started your career with a goal to replace myself within one year, two years or maybe five years?
The fundamental rule for replacing yourself with a qualified replacement is to make sure it is in a way that allows you to create a bigger future for yourself within the business. It’s critical that you do it properly; that takes the 8 Laws of Replacing Yourself into consideration. Give yourself permission to give up the act of perfection. Conventionally, nothing and no one is perfect, except flow, change and fun”.
If you want to start your team on the path to becoming empowered and stepping into leadership roles, Don’t Be a Yes Chick tele-series is a step by step guide to move them from “employee” to “leader”.
Are you ready to let go of “how we used to do it”? Now accepting registrations for our program beginning April 10th. Email info@yeschick.com to register.
