BrainCram

Delegation is not a simple matter of giving away tasks. It requires some consideration and planning for 2 key reasons.

Firstly, delegating the task doesn’t not mean that you are free of responsibility for it being carried out, only that the output is provided by someone else.

Secondly, the quality of that output will still reflect upon you, even if someone else completes it!

So here are some ideas on the Art of Delegation:

Select the correct person to do the task.
That is, find someone with the correct knowledge, skill, attitude and capacity to do the task. There is no point in giving a software task to the mail delivery person.

Ensure that person understands the task and the timescales/deadlines involved. Ask questions to clarify their understanding and ensure the person understands what you believe a ‘good job’ looks like.

Ensure the person is given the resources to complete the task and that other managers understand the person has an increased workload, reducing their capacity to accept other work.

Maintain communication at a frequent by not intrusive frequency. This often requires some sensitivity and trust. You want the person to give you feedback on progress, but don’t want to be seen as a micro manager.

Stand back and let the person go, providing guidance and support if required.

Monitor the progress and review the performance. Trust but verify is not a poor motto in the early stages of delegating. As you both increase in confidence, the verify can be reduced as the trust increases!

My own delegation process follows the following pattern:

- A brief overview of the task
- A clear description of the outcome
- A breakdown of the resources available
- A statement on when the work needs to be completed for my review
- A short period of questions from both of us to clarify the outcomes, resources and any concerns
- A discussion of when to review progress

These tips and my process should give you a useful starting point for developing you own delegation.

Dare to Aspire

One of the most frequently used terms in the modern business world is that of ‘Change’. The pace at which technology is improving and the body of human knowledge is growing means that to keep up we constantly need to change and grow.

Being able to adapt is one of the keys to success in modern business and so it useful to be able to to assess our readiness and ability to change.

The following is a check-list that can help you assess whether you are likely to be able to make the planned change a reality:

• Are you open to the idea that change is possible?

• Assess the reasons why you want to change…Are they powerful enough? Real change requires a passion for something new to sustain you.

• What actually needs changing? Make sure you got to the core of what you want to change.

• Change will have consequences, good and bad. Consider them and be sure you can accept them.

• Can you start today now, even a little bit? Putting it off will not help you generate the momentum you will need to complete the change.

• Start small and work up to a large change. Small consistent changes in behaviour make the habit of change more physiologically acceptable and more readily accepted next time.

• Act as if you have already adopted the change and you will begin to believe the change and grow into it. Trying on the ‘new you’ will also help you assess if you want to keep it.

• Only employ positive language. The brain doesn’t process negatives very well so using positive language to reinforce the change you want. Think and act positively!

• Develop some sensory acuity and be open to the changes that are happening around you to see the impact of any changes. You will soon recognise if the change is having a bad effect if you keep yourself open to how others are behaving.

• Look for feedback in how your performance is changing. Not all changes are beneficial and it is important to get feedback and see if the change is improving your situation.

This check-list should be helpful in your personal change process. As you step through each point, identify if you are already meeting that element or if it requires more effort. Only you can decide if you are willing to focus on that element and really embrace the change.

Dare to Aspire

Sometimes you will find yourself unable to see a way ahead in your work life. At times like these, the benefits of someone that can help you are immense. If you can build a relationship with a person then they may be able to help you grow and develop and perhaps they may become a permanent mentor.

Benefits of a Mentor

1. An assistant who can help you develop your personal and work life.

2. A useful sounding board that can listen and provide an independent judgement without any fear of the feedback having a negative effect on your career.

3. A guide and perhaps a champion if you need extra training or development.

4. A person who puts your agenda first and acts as a motivator and personal change agent.

5. A person who helps you on a path of self discovery for your benefit.

Qualities of a Mentor

1. They are totally trustworthy. They are working with you at a professional yet quite intimate level and so trust is essential for you to expose your professional weaknesses and concerns without fear of ridicule or impact.

2. They must be patient. Development can take a long time, particularly when there is a high level of complexity. Your mentor will need to be patient, persistent and help you stay on track.

3. A mentor must astute enough to ask the deep probing questions that will help you identify personal shortfalls.

4. They must be committed to making the relationship work. If you are both non-committal, the mentoring process is doomed.

The Mentor-Mentee Relationship

When you find a person that is willing to be your Mentor, it is important to agree the terms of the relationship. You should both be committed to that relationship and so it is worth spending time establishing the scope of the activity, the level of individual commitment and the boundaries you both want to work within.

When I enter this relationship I have guidelines:

1. Absolute confidentiality. What goes on in the relationship stays within that relationship.

2. I am willing to commit to regular meetings to discuss goals, aims, techniques and progress. I am also willing to entertain the occasional irregular contact, but generally only when my Mentee has exhausted their own resources and have hit a barrier that they cannot pass.

3. If either of us make a commitment, it is exactly that, a commitment.

4. If we agree a meeting time, we are never late. Being late shows disrespect.

5. There will be a time when the relationship grows beyond both of us. Either person can withdraw from the relationship without any guilt providing it is done with respect and good grace.

Most other guidelines we work out together but these are generally enough to begin the process.

Anyone can benefit from a Mentor so see if you can find someone who could help you progress and ask them to help. Most senior people are very happy to help those who recognize the need for help and are brave enough to ask.

Dare to Aspire