The following is not easy to achieve but extremely worthwhile if you want to get more done in less time.
You're It
“When placed in command / take charge.” Norman Schwarzkopf. Make sure you take charge. Do you homework and know where you are going and how to get there.
Why Delegate?
It's your business, you are in charge, you must delegate. So get it done quickly and effectively so you are free to;
- Build your business - work on your business, not in it
- React if required - trouble shoot issues should they arise, coach and support your staff with their goals
It's what you're staff want!
Brian Tracy in Delegation and Supervision notes a Training Magazine survey that showed that the most powerful motivator at work was a clear set of expectations.
Given a clear, concise set of instructions and timeframes - people do better. And if they do better, you're doing better.
HOW TO - The following set of tasks will enormously increase your ability to delegate as required to your staff.
Them [Preparation] 7 steps
- get good people
- have job descriptions and procedures
- train them - to get the skill level they need
- define targets in numbers (and dates) in the job descriptions
- collect the data required to track this progress - and report it
- have them report back to you - showing tasks as completed - or not. Don't you go looking for information, make it their job.
- manage by exception - only address tasks that aren't right, NOT every task
After this is set up, you will only need to talk about what's DIFFERENT this week. NOT what they should be doing anyway.
You [Delegation] The one hour (the "what's different" to normal routine) at the beginning of the week;
- team meeting - 30 minutes - leverage your time explaining "what's the plan" once, to all - draw it up on a whiteboard or share it electronically (whiteboard is faster as it finished by the end of the meeting, can be used to collect data for tracking progress too)
- 5 to 10 min 1 on 1 meetings - to go over specific details, hear objections and build buy in. Check confidence levels.
FOLLOW UP...Set Time to Lead (not Delegate)
Of course you will need to spend more time working with your staff than this per week. People are politics. People are emotional. People need to be motivated and energised. And they need to be kept on track.
Its not working :(
Start again and look for the cause in steps 1 to 7. Fix it. Go back to working ON your business.
