AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2008

Learning Tree

Management Insights
Expert Advice from Todays Top Professionals
Delegating for Results
Its not unusual for managers to feel uncomfortable delegating responsibility for challenging assignments. It can feel like you are putting your goals at risk since staff members may not have the same sense of accountability and commitment to results that you do. Even worse, staff members may feel that accepting responsibility just means accepting blame if the results dont live up to expectations. But as constraints on success increase and a job becomes more difficult, delegation becomes a more essential skill. How do you get the people to whom youve delegated important but challenging tasks to accept responsibility and make a commitment?

5 Steps to Selecting the Right Person and Assigning the Task

1st Get Commitment. Getting genuine commitment for difficult tasks requires that you go beyond documented skills and availability to consider two additional variables: personal strengths and values. There are times when the best person for the job, the one who will not only take responsibility but also be truly committed, isnt the person with the perfect skill set. 2nd Leverage Peoples Strengths. Dont assume that peoples strengths are only what is on their rsum or what their educational background is. You may have a staff member who, on paper, looks like a good t for a primarily technical assignment. But from experience, you know that this person has strong people and presentation skills. In fact,

If you want your people to accept responsibility and get results, you must delegate for success right from the start. Unfortunately, its easier to delegate a task to the available personthe one thats easily accessible and has the time Successfully Engaging Your Audience Larry Barnard rather than trying to identify the right person. Using The Explorus Group Finding the latter is not only based on the a Five-Step Targeted Presentation Method person having the correct skill set, but also This months Management Insights author, Larry Barnard explores the their ability to commit to a difficult task uncomfortable delegating responsibility for challenging projects. As involving many potential constraints standing constraints on success increase and a job becomes more difficult, delegation becomes a more essential skill. in the way of success.

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Learning Tree

August/September 2008

Management Insights
Delegating for Results
coupled with the candidates IT background, this person is perfect for representing your team to an external business partner. Matching the full range of strengths with the work will result in more motivated and engaged employees. When considering a delegation opportunity, consider how the task will add to the persons skill set and further support their career plans. People are more likely to take responsibility for tasks that move them toward goals in their personal development than those that might cement them in their current position. By leveraging a persons strengths, you help them move those strengths onto their rsum where they will become part of their official skill set. 3rd Assess Peoples Values. Assessing peoples strengths and skills is generally easier than assessing their values and interests; however, a persons values are vitally important to understanding commitment and accountability. Consider how the assigned task may positively impact the employees perspective. Could it help them to renew work relationships that they value? Might it provide new learning experiences? When people are working towards goals they value, or on tasks that reect their interests, theyll automatically take on more responsibility than you could ever assign officially. After looking at candidate strengths and values, you may decide the person who will commit to the job isnt the person with the perfect skill set. In fact, the right person may need to stretch to meet all the requirements of the task. Remember that you as the manager are responsible for their success and you may need to provide additional training or support as they ramp up. You may also need to reassess your expectations for the timing or deliverables of the project. 4th Communicate Expectations. After picking the right candidate, youre ready to sit down with the person youve selected and communicate expectations. Its your responsibility to communicate not only what you expect but also how the employees strengths and values alignfrom your perspectivewith those expectations. You may also need to help the employee recognise the link between the task at hand and his or her strengths and values.

Expert Advice from Todays Top Professionals

5th Draw Out Peoples Concerns. As you communicate with the individual, take note of the persons body language. Most people give cues or non-verbal signals when they are uncomfortable with the work they are being asked to commit to. For example, you may see the employee sitting back with arms crossed tightly or dgeting nervously. Its your job to pick up on those cues. When you see signs that the person is uncomfortable with the task they are being asked to take on, its up to you to nd the cause of their discomfort. Ask questions to draw out their specic concerns. You may, for instance, have missed some aspect of the task that requires a skill the person doesnt possess, or you may have misunderstood the persons values. If you dont resolve these issues during the delegation phase, you will undermine the persons sense of accountability and commitment.

Delegation matters, and it is more than just laying a foundation for accountability or assigning blame. Ultimate accountability still belongs to the manager because that is the person who assigns the work. Effective delegation is critical to getting a commitment to success and ensuring personal growth. More importantly, fully committed employees are more likely to exceed expectations than when they are just doing a job.

About the Author

Larry Barnard is the managing director of the Explorus Group which provides consulting services in project and business management, and a published author in the area of personal development. Larry is the author of Learning Tree Internationals Course 290, Management Skills, and Course 286, Project Risk Management. larry@explorus.ca

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0812UK Mgmt Insights Aug/Sept

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