How The Party Happens

by Shaun Groves
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This morning I frosted mouse cookies for a three year-old birthday party while Becky counted cash for a deposit.  Because I can make stuff.  But I can’t add stuff.

I’m a delegator – which is management book speak for unskilled.  I get a lot done by surrounding myself with people who are self-motivated, consistently hard working and unbelievably more skilled than I. 

  • Kat built this website.  Ben is building CompassionBloggers.com.  I just told them what I needed.
  • Becky handles all my finances – payroll, taxes, cost benefit analysis for this and that, addition and subtraction, etc.  I just turn in my receipts and hire and fire and forecast.
  • Ben books my shows and road manages – calls and e-mails promoters to answer their questions and coordinate the event before it arrives.  Brian and Brody did these important jobs before him.
  • Glenda managed me for years, acting as the COO of all things me (marketing, publicity, publishing, touring, booking and other ings I’m sure I’m not even aware of).  And today she’s my agent, handling everything writing related I do.
  • Promoters everywhere book me (the easy part) and then print posters, make announcements, get the local newspaper and radio station involved, etc etc etc (the hard part.)
  • People who like my music or Compassion link to my blog, leave comments, pray for me and my family, write me the nicest e-mails, tell their friends to listen or attend a show, etc etc etc

    • I do very little.  Which takes a lot of doing.  Doing very little means I have to find people who do well the things I do badly.  People I can trust to work when I’m not watching. And I have to find that balance between staying out of their way and giving them what they need to get their jobs done (goals, materials, encouragement, cash).  And I don’t always do that well but that’s the one task I can’t delegate away.

    And when we all do our part, the party happens.  Cookies get eaten.  There’s money enough in the bank for balloons and napkins.  And the picture is beautiful.

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