Delegation Is Not Integration
The 'Oarsome Foursome' were an Australian Olympic and World Champion rowing team, competing most famously as a coxless four. Through the 1990s and into the early 2000s they were an unbeatable team and hugely popular in Australia.
One of the essentials of a winning rowing team is that they all row together, in the same direction, at the same time. They don't 'divy it up'. Imagine if the coach decided to delegate: OK Nick, you go forwards, Mike, you go backwards, Sam, you go left, James, you go right. Instead of winning the race, they'd just go around and around in circles.
Delegation is not integration. When tasks are divided up between managers who aren't working together, they're no longer whole of organisation objectives. This approach can perpetuate silos and be a barrier to true integration.
When we talk about alignment, as an asset management fundamental, or in any management context, it's not just about a vertical alignment between organisational objectives and functional plans, it's also about horizontal alignment - across teams, across functions and across stakeholder groups.
How do you create opportunities for transdisciplinary collaboration?
How do you ensure that you have integration, not just delegation?
How do you ensure that you're all rowing together?
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