My new blog in Forbes offers two great tips to help you delegate responsibility for better results.
When people don’t know how to delegate effectively, a lot of problems can happen. Often, managers who aren’t sure how to do it just take on the work themselves. That can lead to burn out. Others try to micro-manage and show direct reports exactly the steps to get things done. This can leave direct reports feeling powerless and frustrated.
When things don’t go right in the delegating process, managers and direct reports can be left trying to blame each other, initiating a cycle of distrust. The relationship frays, productivity goes down, conflict arises, and ultimately, the reputation of both the manager and the direct report can be damaged.
My clients ask me about delegating a lot. How much is too much? How much is too little? And what is the best way to do it right? My new blog in Forbes offers two pro tips for delegating more effectively:
Delegate Responsibility, Not Tasks
When you delegate responsibility for a result, you empower your team to focus on results and take the actions necessary to achieve it. If you delegate tasks, you could end up micro-managing.
See Delegating as a Process
Delegating is not a one and done event. It’s process, akin to teaching someone how to drive. You don’t just throw them in the driver’s seat and walk away, hoping for the best. You ensure they know the rules of the road, how to operate the car and navigate to a destination, and even then, you stay in the car to coach them through situations as they happen. When you see delegating as a similar process, you set you and your direct report up for success.
Read more in my blog on Forbes.