Now you’ve whittled the list of activities for delegation down to the absolute minimum, you can start the process of actually enabling someone else to do them.

The good news is that all the information you need to do this is already there – in your head and in your team’s heads.

The job at this stage is not so much to invent as to document – in a way that is practical and useful. In a way that will strengthen motivation and reinforce commitment.

And of course it’s a process. What else would you expect from me?

The process looks like this:

1) You choose a process to work on, and a process partner to work on it with you.

2) You describe how that process currently works to your partner. Who takes notes.

3) They use their notes to sketch out the process in diagram form.

4a) Then, using their sketch and their notes, they test the documentation (what I call a process score) by carrying out the process as understood by them from your description, making notes as they go, preferably on a copy of the diagram.

4b) In parallel, you observe them running the process test. Without interrupting the process, you also make notes on the experience, alsoon a copy of the diagram.

5) Once the run-through has been completed, you both get together with your experience notes and discuss what went wrong, and how to prevent that next time. You agree improvements, then repeat activities 3) to 5) until you both have a something you’re both happy with – a document that enables any competent person in your business to run that process to your client’s satisfaction, without having to ask you, or anyone else, how to go about it.

6) File the finished process score in your shared space, so it’s accessible to everyone.

Now pick your next process and process partner, and do it again.

Remember:

You will not get this right first time.

Don’t get angry, with yourself or your test partner.

You’re not questioning what you know, you’re testing the documentation.

Neither are you testing the ability of your process partner. You’re testing the documentation.

Trust the process.

It won’t take many rounds to get something good enough.

Go ahead. Have a go.

Discipline makes Daring possible.