Do you know me? I’m the one who is constantly looking over your shoulder and second-guessing your every move. You still don’t know me? My way is always the only way to complete a task so you have to do it my way. My way is perfect. I am the ultimate control freak. I need to be in charge and I want everyone else to know it. In my past life, I was labelled a typical “A” type personality. (You can decide what the “A” meant). Nowadays I’m known as a big-time “D”. I’m dominating. I’m a micro-manager. My management style gets results so why would I want to change? Why do I need to change?

Today’s employees want to work for managers who will teach them what they need to know and then get out of their way and let them do it. They want to work for managers who understand that it’s bigger than they are so they need to rely on others to accomplish team and organizational goals. They want to work for managers who understand that if they don’t give up some of the control, they are robbing them of their opportunity to grow. They want to work for a manager who believes inclusion, not exclusion is the key to an energized workforce.

Are you willing to give up control to get control? Are you willing to delegate some of your responsibilities to others on your team? Are you willing to trust them that they can get the job done on time and on budget? Don’t get too hung up on how they do it – get hung up on the results. You need to allow them to do it their way.

Try these 8 easy steps to a successful delegation:

1. Decide what you want to delegate. You need to be clear about what you want done.
2. Decide who you are going to delegate too. Is the person capable of doing the task?
3. Create a teachable moment. Give them the tools they’ll need to be successful.
4. Ask questions to ensure learning has taken place.
5. Monitor their performance. Follow up, follow up, follow up.
6. Keep the lines of communication open. Let them know you are here to help.
7. Hold the person accountable for the results
8. Praise their performance. Let them know they have done a good job.

Forget about all the reasons why you shouldn’t delegate and think about all the reasons why you should. Trust me – you’ll be glad you did and so will everyone on your team. Together everyone achieves more.

Copyright (c) 2020. Brian Smith-PLD. Not to be reproduced without permission. To find out more about Brian and what he can do for you and your organization visit: https://briansmithpld.com or email him at: brian@briansmithpld