Effective Delegation - 2 of 7

WHY DELEGATE?

Time Management, Boosting Morale and Confidence

In this age of efficiency and execution, every employee, from top to bottom, has a full range of tasks and priorities that must be completed.  Delegation allows one to be more productive, freeing up time to perform those essential managerial tasks, such as strategic planning, control, monitoring and training.  Allowing someone else to handle the more mundane tasks gives you both time and flexibility.  Frequent delegation also allows your staff to feel more confident, empowered and able to perform their day-to-day tasks.

Employees that feel trusted, involved and empowered tend to be happier and more productive – delegation increases morale through the process of building confidence.  As people learn to be more effective, they feel accomplished, needed and relieved.  The sense of accomplishment that workers feel because of delegated trust motivates them to work harder, because they feel rewarded personally.  Most employees relish the increased responsibility given to them when assigned to new tasks.  They won’t grow and develop as well without new opportunities and learning experiences provided by effective delegation.

Cross-Training and New Skills

In addition to the benefit of your own better use of time, delegation allows for employee development through cross-training and the learning of new skills.  Workers that have to resign themselves to performing the same task time after time, day after day, with no variety or flexibility, will soon become bored and complacent.  A person needs the opportunity to build on their strengths and improve their weaknesses.  Next time, What do you delegate?      ...lead on!

Don't buy coffee in airports...

If you travel as I do, you've noticed that airport restaurants and shops seem to think coffee has gold flakes in it.  It is time we stopped paying ridiculous prices for something they pay so little for.  Many of them are even selling instant coffee for the same price.  JOIN ME - DON'T BUY AIRPORT COFFEE.

Communicate! ...both ways.

The most key ingredient to building relationships, working with people, leading people, even surviving is communication.  Often we discuss our ability to get our point across, to influence others, to get what we need...but we fail too often to discuss the importance of good listening skills.  Our ability to interpret, absorb and understand the meaning of another's communication is essential for the relationship to thrive.  If you feel you are not a good listener, do this: 1. want to...want to listen, to understand, to connect 2. develop an interest, in the other person, their topic, their needs  3.  ignore distractions and put aside personal issues so that you can focus on the other person, their needs, what you can do for them.  Once you can do this, you become a good listener.

Perception is our reality

What do employees want?  What do they need?  Hard to discern, sometimes, but if we put some thought to it, it is not really that difficult.  If we would simply look to our own past, therein lie many answers.  Have you worked for a manager that you saw to be a real leader, someone that inspired and motivated you just because of who they were, and how they treated people?  Like many, you may have experienced that manager that was more of a 'boss' than a leader- dominant, 'my way or the highway' thinking, self centered, disrespectful, or any of the many negative qualities that some think work.  Here's my best, and yet the simplest tip.  Don't become what you don't like...  Choose to be good, be insightful, to be a great leader.

Delegate...1 of 7.

In its simplest form, management is no more than delegation.  As a manager, you are given a piece of the corporate vision or mission to accomplish, but you, as an individual, cannot do it all.  So, you enlist the skills, talents and time of those that report to you to get the task accomplished...delegation.  The hard part is doing it right- knowing what to delegate, who to give it to, making sure they have what they need, and following through correctly to make sure the job is done well.  I'll be expanding on delegation over the next few weeks, watch for the next sections.  1 of 7.  
...lead on!

Welcome to my redesigned website!

Going forward, I'll be posting regular tips on leadership, management, supervision, time management, customer service, and other valuable and useful topics relating to business success.  Return regularly to see what is new.
thanks, ed