Should you choose someone similar to yourself to be your right-hand person? The answer isn't determined solely by whether you share the same personality type. It is essential to first clarify the roles you want to delegate, the necessary competencies, and the division of decision-making responsibilities.
At NEXT SCIENCE’s Human Solutions, we do not treat our Talent Data Bank as a tool to determine the superiority or inferiority of an individual’s abilities, but rather as a means to organize strengths, decision-making tendencies, and role distributions. We do not use classifications of "similar" or "different" as an automatic conclusion for hiring decisions.
Articulate what you expect from your "right-hand person"
Whether it’s someone to co-conceive business strategies, execute decisions, identify on-site issues, or audit your own judgment, the term "right-hand person" encompasses many different functions. If expectations remain ambiguous, gaps in delegation will emerge, even if the other person is highly talented.
Start by listing the tasks you want to delegate on a weekly basis and the decisions you cannot relinquish. Specifically confirm the experience and skills required for the role, as well as the necessary professional relationships inside and outside the company.
When you are similar, confirmation is often overlooked
When your criteria for judgment are similar, explanations can sometimes be brief. On the other hand, there is a risk that both of you might focus on the same points and overlook the same hazards. Even in situations requiring rapid judgment, it is helpful to pre-designate who is responsible for verifying contracts, costs, and execution frameworks.
This does not mean that people of the same type will always act the same way. Be sure to confirm differences based on experience and job function through actual work.
When you are different, synergy does not occur automatically
Even if you have one person who broadens possibilities and another who focuses on checking conditions, if the order of consultation and decision-making authority is ambiguous, it can easily lead to perceptions of "always being contrarian" or "acting without permission."
As an illustrative example, for a new business, separate the phase of generating concepts from the phase of setting costs and deadlines. State clearly from the beginning whether you are seeking an opinion, a validation, or a final decision. To leverage differences in type, you must reach an agreement on how work should proceed.
Five questions for the two of you to examine
- What is this right-hand person intended to achieve?
- Which tasks and decisions will be delegated?
- What information does each person need before making a decision?
- When opinions diverge, who decides, and under what conditions?
- When will we review our performance and roles?
Answering these questions separately and then comparing them makes it easier to uncover misaligned expectations. Do not assume that "some things go without saying"; be sure to confirm the other person’s own hopes and burdens as well.
If using analysis, layer it with real-world work records
Through Executive/Business Owner Analysis, you can examine your own strengths and decision-making characteristics, and through Co-founder/Business Partner Analysis, you can consider role distribution and decision-making structures. Analysis alone does not determine compatibility or the success or failure of a business.
Use it in conjunction with dialogue with the individual, work performance, required skills, and the current stage of the business. Do not use analysis as a pretext to concentrate miscellaneous chores or adjustment tasks on one person; consider the delegation of authority and support in tandem.
Organize your own judgment and the roles of both parties
See Human Solutions' approach to decision-making and role design ／ View Talent Data Bank
View analysis for executives ／ View analysis for co-founders and business partners
Consult about role division between the owner and their right-hand person
This service is not a medical diagnosis or a psychological examination. Do not base important decisions such as hiring or performance reviews solely on analysis; weigh them against track record, capability, experience, and the situation at hand.
Written by: NEXT SCIENCE ／ Company Information
Eyecatch: Redd Francisco / Unsplash (Stock photo, cropped to 1:1. Not a photo of our employees or clients)