Clockwork: Design Your Business to Run Itself

by Mike Michalowicz

Scott’s fix to this problem is to have his employees interview him (with a recorder at their side so they don’t miss a single detail). This is a way to get freedom from the tasks. You can capture what you do for highly replicable tasks, but some things are more nebulous. Having someone interview you brings out the details. People can’t read what is in your mind, but they can get it on paper. They can proactively ask you the questions that they have or believe they will have. They can ask all the questions necessary to take your vision and make it into something doable. And by asking these questions, they alleviate that second 10 percent where they are coming back to you with questions after the fact. You are a visionary, but you may not communicate it well. So, let them interview you. Let them document it. Let them get your input the first go around, not via a back-and-forth.