Coach Train Learn

Do What You Love – Delegate the Rest

Whatever your job or role, there will always be the parts of it that you prefer to do and others you hate and loathe.

It’s natural!

We all have our preferences and usually that which we enjoy and prefer doing are the things we are best at. It’s common sense.

When we manage others, as we evolve into that role, we find that much is expected of us and so, almost as an act of proving our capabilities, we do as much of the role as we can and let little go.

That is where we lose both our pleasure in the job and also our capacity for delivering a good performance – we do all and find that it brings down our overall performance.

Yet, by understanding our people, we can find that there are some angles best left to and even actively given to others.

So that not only do we ourselves, benefit, but also our people thrive on the responsibility which has been delegated. Because it is an area they enjoy especially and hence are able to do well.

In doing well, they achieve more. In doing less of the things we dislike, we are able to focus more on those areas of our own strengths.

And everyone wins.

Getting the Best from Your People

Enjoying the benefits of truly ‘turned on’ people in your business, makes a huge difference.

They are your lifeblood – your representative in front of the hundreds and thousands of customers you deliver to daily.

Finding out what they need to be successful for you can be more challenging.

But wait!

What steps have you personally taken to get to know then properly? Have you asked them what they need to do their best for you?

Be sensitive and responsive to their needs. Get to understand them as individuals and find out where they are coming from.

It’s not as tough a challenge as it seems!

This simple step will provide you with all the people strategies that work – for all of them.

Many solutions will be easy to do on your part – simple, supportive activities that show you care for them and want their success.

By helping them be better, you will build belief and trust in you as a manager. When it’s a larger challenge, that gets harder, for sure.

So, by using your people to have a positive and constructive input they feel more involved, committed even!

It will be worthwhile – for everyone.

Valuing Mistakes

Let’s face it – things go wrong.

It’s life and getting all upset when things go wrong is going to get nowhere.

Being able to accept this and learn from it is one indicator of a true manager and leader.

There’s a famous story of a senior executive at a large American corporate. A project went badly wrong, costing them some $40M. He was in line for a fiercely contested promotion and there were other great candidates.

In the end, he was the successful candidate and when those responsible for choosing him were challenged on the validity of their choice, they replied that he had $40M invested in his development already!

Projects don’t work out 100% perfectly. That is how it is.

So part of the challenge, say, where it goes 30% wrong, is to get value back from that 30% in terms of learning.

Planning projects, delivering them and reviewing are three key components for success.

Yet many spend 20% of the time planning (on a good project), 75% delivering and 5% (if they are very lucky and focused) on the reviewing part.

And that is just the spot to add value lost and gain the bonus of the learning for the future.

It might not be worth $40M.

Then again it might be!

Preparing to Move On!

From the very first day you work with your people, there is a reducing number of days you will have ahead of you working with them.

All of us are ‘disposable’ and have a measurable timespan in any career step.

So, from day one it’s vital to be thinking of when you aren’t there and developing a strategy for being unnecessary!

Yes, you read that right, you need to be preparing your team to run on autopilot when you aren’t there.

In fact it’s an essential measure of management capability to ensure that their business runs as well (if not better!) when you aren’t there, than when you are.

Most ‘delivery’ roles that a manager has can be effectively delegated when you focus well on the possibilities and potential of your people.

As a manager, your key role is to manage and develop each and every one of your people for the benefit of the business and team, as well as and at least as importantly, their personal development too.

Leveraging the people you have to do more, through support, guidance and effective delegation, will build a team that are more than capable.

How to start?

Well, starting from day one (or now, if you have been in place for a while), review every activity that you personally undertake and focus on getting rid of at least half of them over a six month period – three is you want a stretch target

Then half again in the next period.

Then half again.

In less than a year, you will have given almost 90% of the work that you need not have been doing, to people who can, building their confidence and expertise and enabling you to do more of what you do best – focusing on each of your people to progress and develop.

A much more effective and rewarding use of your time.

The length of time before you get promoted may not be as long as you thought!

The Attraction of Opposites

Sometimes, when you are stuck for a decision to make, it is worth thinking the unthinkable.

Trying the impossible.

And it doesn’t only reflect on the decisions you make – it could be a whole approach.

One thing to try is absolutely the opposite to the direction you were thinking of taking.

What would happen if you were able to let go of your current direction/decision and do exactly the opposite.

A 180^o shift.

Nothing will damage you much in one week, so, this week try it on for size.

But – don’t think about it, actually do the opposite where you have the reasonable choice.

And see what benefits that very different approach might take because sometimes the opposite is all in your mind. In your conditioning.

Letting go of some of that will broaden your horizons magnificently.

What Do Your Customers Want?

Getting inside the head of your customers is a recipe for success.

And it takes some thought and actions on your part to ensure that you get the most from these folk, one of your most valuable assets.

Sometimes, you almost have to ‘be’ them, to find out more.

Try taking the role on of one of your customers or clients and seeing what you offer from their perspective.

This will really help structure a sound and growing business for you, around them and their needs.

More, why don’t you simply ask them what they want from your operation to satisfy their needs.

Get to the bottom of just what it is you currently do that irritates them and fix it.

Above all, build the relationship and thank them for their insights – they are hugely valuable to you and your team.

We often run away and hide from complaints – as if they are a challenge to us as people.

And we do, if we’re honest, find it tough to not take them personally.

Yet, if you can get around how you take them as a personal criticism, it’s really worth making the effort to see any complaint as a gift.

They are a real positive!

For knowing what went wrong, gives you information you can correct and grow stronger on.

When times get tough, feel courageous enough to bite the bullet and get to the bottom of those things that your customers want from you – in all aspects of your arena.

There’s no better time than now to get out there and find out.