The Fast Lane | The DeVenney Code

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The DeVenney Code

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Enjoy the unraveling of the business world's deepest darkest secrets from the comfort of your desk with “The DeVenney Code”. Michael’s opinions on both major and less covered business topics can be enlightening, refreshing, and humorous. Gain some perspective on topics that you may have never considered before, and challenge yourself to consistently “think outside the box”.

“The DeVenney Code” is your way to the inside scoop.

The Fast Lane

Don’t you love driving on the highway and the car in front of you gets in the passing lane and sits there! It is called a passing lane for a reason. If you are in the fast lane, drive fast. That is the key to having two lanes – you get out of the way of the people behind you.

The same thing happens at work. When we complain about bottlenecks and inaction, we generally need to start by looking in the mirror. Are we holding things up? Are people not able to achieve their best results trying to get around you?

If you worry about being a bottleneck (and we all should), here is a short interview to have with each of your direct reports. Each meeting takes about 30 minutes and is a tremendous investment.

Have each of your direct reports list her or his key areas of responsibility and schedule a one-on-one session with each person. Review each area of responsibility and ask:

Are there cases where you believe that I get too involved and can let more go?
Are there cases when I need to get more involved and give you more help?

Ask each direct report:

Do you ever see me working on tasks that someone at my level doesn’t need to do?
Are there areas where I can help other people grow and develop, and give myself more time to focus on strategy and long-term planning?

Be clear that honest and open feedback is welcomed and will be the best

Having this interview and discussion with the people who work with you remove the bottlenecks and let each person work at their best.

If you are in the fast lane, drive fast.