Tuesday, January 08, 2008
Letting Go
What kinds of tasks do you hang on to so tightly - usually under the guise of “I’m the only one who can do this.” - that it’s driving the rest of your team nuts?
Don’t get me wrong - there are some things that you as a leader cannot relinquish but I would venture to guess that a good portion could be delegated. If only you took the time to mentor someone as your back-up. And, as we all know, that is where the wheels come off the wagon.
First, who has extra time to mentor someone? By the time you finish training, explaining, following up, and giving ongoing feedback it would have been quicker for you to complete the task yourself. Second, what if after all that training your team member still failed at the task? Ultimately, it’s your reputation on the line for the success of a project regardless who completed the work.
Start small - what kinds of tasks can you delegate that are low risk to your department and take little training/follow-up time? Depending on your industry and work group, the list can be long and here are some ideas to get you going:
* ordering supplies
* correspondence
* staff scheduling
* researching customer requests
Spend some time selecting the correct person to take on these new duties (make sure it’s not all grunt work), and stay in constant dialogue at the beginning of the task. As you see that they are handling things well, back off. You will, over time, come to trust them more and feel safe to delegate more complex and higher risk assignments.
Finding the balance between mentoring and accountability is not easy. However, the rewards exceed the challenges because once you have a successful mentoring relationship it frees you up to create other possibilities in your business. It’s simply a matter of letting go.
Until next time...live like you mean it!
Marjorie