Here is my basic framework for getting someone off the endless treadmill of operational responsibility:
- Find something you do every day that is very simple to write down. Even if it only takes you 15 minutes to do. Start small. Start simple.
- Next time you do it, write it down, or record it in a screencast. Don’t agonise over every possible contingency, or try to make it clear. Just do it as quickly as you can.
- Determine some way you can tell if it’s been done correctly (for example some simple way that activity can be reported) and make that reporting part of the process
- Now go to oDesk, hiremymum.com.au or hiremymom.com (in the US) and hire someone to do it for you (NB: if hiring someone is too daunting, you should read my tips on hiring here).
- Your new hire will go through and ask questions about anything that is unclear. It’s their job to improve the documentation as you answer those questions
- Now hire someone else to do the same thing, only this time instead of asking you questions they should ask the first person you hired questions. Again, documentation is updated as questions are asked
You now have a pretty good process and you know that you can easily find people to do this for you.
The next step is to systemise your hiring process by defining roles within your organisation.