Who needs a deputy?

If we were talking about a western film everybody would know what a deputy means! In business the real meaning and application of a deputy is rarely understood despite how powerful one can be.

So why should a key person in a business have a deputy?

• Now and again they may have holidays during work time.
• They may be off ill.
• They may get seconded to a project away from their normal job.

Without a deputy what will happen?

• If the key person has a robust system to run their area then all should be OK for a while but if they haven’t - - - — -?
• With the key person absent then the things they did don’t get done this can affect customer service, cost, profitability etc.
• Their team is unmanaged - problems don’t get resolved.

What should a deputy do?

• Keep the systems of the area running smoothly
• Do the key elements of the key persons job
• Deputise for the key person in meetings or similar
• Manage the team

What are the effects of having an effective deputy:

• The show stays on the road
• Performance is maintained - may be improved
• A subordinate gets a taste of the limelight
• The key person has to explain what’s involved in their role

The key person must see the deputy as an asset not a threat and therefore essential. For the person who deputises its an opportunity but to get the full benefit they must understand why certain things must be done. Oh and before I forget lets kill off another popular misconception - deputies are NOT just for large companies - just as key people aren’t!

This entry was posted on 26/04/2009 at 08:42 pm and is filed under Tips and Ideas. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response or trackback from your own site.