4 Steps Leaders Need For Keeping Delegation Simple

For many of the leaders I work with, delegation is a real struggle. Leaders resist delegating because we are so accustomed to doing the work ourselves. Many times, fear will rear its ugly head, thinking that if we want the work done correctly, we must do it ourselves. And then there is the time issue of communicating and training others to complete the task for us.

Ahhh, but the benefits of delegation far outweigh the negativity that surrounds this illusive skill. When we delegate, we have more time for our high-priority tasks and we actually get to experience the joy of completing our tasks!

Delegation increases our productivity and is a much better use of our resources.Delegation gives you freedom from chaos and confusion.Since we are not born with the delegation gene, we must learn this skill. It’s not as hard as you think!Just follow these four simple steps and you will be delegating before you know it:

  1. Explain the need for delegating, including the reasons why you selected that person to complete the task.

  2. Clearly set the objectives defining responsibility, level of authority, and deadlines.

  3. Develop a plan to achieve objectives, resources, and give the authority necessary to obtain those resources.

  4. Establish an accountability plan with checkpoints.

True, there are some tasks best kept to ourselves such as personal matters, confidential activities, crises, and activities that are specifically delegated to us. However, we can delegate paperwork, routine tasks, technical matters, tasks with developmental potential, and employee problems that we do not need to be involved in.Somehow we’ve managed to complicate the idea of holding people accountable, and it is quite simple, really, SIMPLE:

S = Set clear expectations – this is the number one complaint and stressors from employees – that the expectations are vague.

I = Invite commitment – some say gain “buy in” but I much prefer to invite commitment. With an invitation, there is a shared sense of ownership.

M = Measure progress – Super important to keep up on this. How you will measure is part of the description of setting clear expectations.

P = Provide feedback – again, super important. Far too often managers will wait until the project is finished to say that it wasn’t done correctly.

L = Link to consequences – consequences are also identified in the setting clear expectations step.

E = Evaluate effectiveness – Do this together and it becomes a powerful activity for you and the person who is accountable.

I want to hear from you!

What are some techniques you use to hold people accountable and why do you think the strategies are effective?

With love,

Maria

Leaders - New Year's Resolutions Require An Internal Space Of Grace

The 3 Cs are outward manifestations of inward grace: care, compassion, and confidence.  “Grace must find expression in life, otherwise it is not grace”, are words filled with wisdom by Karl Barth. With our divine quiet grace, it shines like an outward beacon. The confidence comes from our surrender, knowing we are guided by the powerful hand of God. Confidence is one of the elements that draw followers to great leaders.

Warning!! Confidence is not arrogance.I love the Merriam-Webster definition of arrogance: an attitude of superiority manifested in an overbearing manner or in presumptuous claims or assumptions.

You will notice that I emphasized all of the ego-related words in bold. Yes, arrogance is seeded from ego, whereas confidence is seeded from authenticity, from grace, from God.Care and compassion are grace manifested in outward behaviors toward others. Sir Francis Bacon reminded us that grace is fulfilled when shared, “If a man be gracious and courteous to strangers, it shows he is a citizen of the world, and that his heart is no island cut off from other lands, but a continent that joins to them.” He spoke of a heart filled with love and grace. Grace, too, is demonstrated through acts of sincere kindness to each other and all living things on earth. Care and compassion are vibrations of love.

Rabbi Heschel described grace under fire when he said, “In every moment something sacred is at stake, and even in that moment being attacked something sacred is at stake. Can I choose, or be awake or aware enough to see that going on and to say I need an imaginative, creative, loving response that keeps my power rather than give it over to that person and just act the way they want me to act.”Living in that state of imaginative, creative, loving response described, is living in grace. Reclaiming and retaining our power is the power of grace. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Mahatma Gandhi lived in grace, retaining their power, while teaching love and peace. Rev. Ed Bacon describes grace manifested as a unifying breath. Grace allows us to break the cycle of violence and turmoil that exists within our everyday lives.

As you begin this New Year, how are you allowing grace to manifest in your leadership and life?

With love,

Maria

P.S. This is a modified excerpt from my book, if today’s blog resonated with you, I HIGHLY encourage you to dig deeper and complete the insight questions I have throughout Love-Based Leadership.