Secondary Responsibility

By Ricky Lyons in : Champion Culture, Culture Thoughts, Ricky@Champion // Jul 29 2010

Two or three years ago we were having a discussion with a contractor who was in the midst of building one of our projects.  Neither schedules nor budgets were being met.  The budget was the contractor’s problem, but the schedule was about to be our problem.  We worked our way through the problem.  In doing so, we came to an interesting conclusion as to the responsibility of people who are in charge or in control.  The contractor referred to it as “secondary responsibility”.

Secondary responsibility is a concept where one person is helping and assisting other team members with their job.  It is truly a team approach.  Everyone on the team has primary (their job) and secondary (assisting) responsibilities.

On a construction site it is most often the project manager’s responsibility to assure that all necessary materials have been ordered to be on site on time for their installation based upon the construction schedule.  Sometimes that doesn’t happen and the person who is then under the most heat for the schedule being delayed is the superintendant on site.  That is when we realized the superintendant has a secondary responsibility.  Although in this example it is the project manager’s primary responsibility to order materials, it is the superintendant’s “secondary responsibility” to make sure or confirm that the materials have, in fact, been ordered on time.  The superintendant’s secondary responsibility is to keep the project manager informed of when he needs materials delivered on a regular basis, and be sure that the project is not delayed.

A CEO has the responsibility to do many things in his business.  Good CEOs employ others – “Seconds in Command”- who not only have primary duties or responsibilities, but secondary responsibilities to assist the CEO and other team members.  These people also communicate regularly with the CEO about all of the necessary things so nothing is lost.

Inside a development company, a project manager has the responsibility to bring a project in on time.  It is also the CEO’s secondary responsibility (at least in companies our size) to follow-up and be sure the project manager has everything necessary to do the job and where help might be needed, get the help.  The examples of this are many.  The follow-through often isn’t.

Are there cases in your business where secondary responsibility would help smooth the operation of your business?  We would like to hear about them.

For CEOs and their teams, I recommend “Make the Noise Go Away – the Power of an Effective Second in Command by Larry G. Linne” [www.larrylinne.com].  We use it, follow it, and have found significant improvement in our operations.

Related posts:

1. Responsibility is the key
2. Guidance Document
3. Capability Memorandum
4. Chapter Two of “The Champion Way™”
5. Urgency defined

About the Author

Ricky Lyons has written 15 articles for Champion Partners Commercial Real Estate.

In 1999, Ricky Lyons commenced operations of Champion Partners, LLC as a real estate development firm located and operating from Scottsdale, Arizona and developing in the Southwest. Early in 2006, Ricky acquired 100% of Champion Partners, LLC., and simultaneously formed Champion Partnerships, LLLP., capitalizing the entity with a group of partners who assist by bringing differing experiences to Champion, thereby enhancing all of its experiences.