OK, you’ve made all your plans and you’re convinced that your staff will be receptive to your new ideas. So you decide to delegate some responsibility to your team, knowing that this level of empowerment will be grasped by all of them, as they are all striving for more responsibility and challenge. Besides, we are all in this together, and that means they’ll want to share the burden and help make the department successful, yes?

Well, yes and no.

One common mistake that managers make in this area is to assume that all that it will take to empower a team member is to simply delegate work and assume they have the motivation and commitment to carry it out. It may not be that simple.

We’ve discussed before that taking people out of their comfort zone can cause many people a lot of stress. Empowering some team members may be fearful for them. We get used to things as they are and so resist change. Some of us like the predictability of everyday work, and they may prefer it when you, the boss, make all the decisions.

So what can you do to encourage people to take on more responsibility and become more empowered, when they may have some resistance to it?

First, make sure you have a clear understanding of what is meant by empowerment, and the responsibilities, authority, limits and expectations you have regarding the people who will be participating.

Ensure everyone has a clear picture of what you’re trying to achieve, what your priorities and values are for the team. If the team isn’t clear, expect hesitancy and fear.

Decide on how you will communicate the message of empowerment. Personally? As a team? A meeting? Email? Make sure the methodology fits in with what you’re trying to achieve. In this case, the journey may be more important than the destination

How will people actually make decisions when they have the power to do so? It may be better to formalise the process so everyone knows what’s going on.

By doing all the above, you are more likely to see consistency of results. If the team know what they are doing and why they are doing it, you have more reasons for participation. Let people take some calculated risks, but let them know if they are going in the right direction. You may find some of the team’s decision-makers come out of the woodwork and show their natural leadership abilities.

All empowerment should be an opportunity for individuals to grow and develop in their abilities and skills. Let them have the right tools to communicate effectively, and you’ll see the potential in many team members

Give the individuals who might be shying away from the empowerment you are offering some kind of stability and support. And give it time. You may have the experience of problem-solving and decision-making, communication skills and abilities honed over many years. Remember that your team members may not have your abilities. So be patient and recognise how your team communicate, so you can be at their level and on their wavelength.

By doing all this, you reduce the chances of failure in empowering others and give yourself more opportunities to share the workload while developing their skills.

Thanks again

Sean

Sean
Sean McPheat
Managing Director
MTD Management Course

Click below for a:
FREE email course “Improve Your Management Skills”

Gordon Moore made a statement in 1965 that has become known as Moore’s Law. He stated that the number of transistors in a computer chip will double every two years. This law has past into mainstream business, and we now hear writers talking about how our knowledge of everything is doubling every 18-24 months.

This opens up an interesting debate regarding how it affects management development, especially in regard to how we keep ourselves up-to-date with information and technology, as most things we buy and use today are out of date the moment we start using them.

With this increase in speed, we need to ensure we keep abreast or we will certainly be left behind. Eleanor Baldwin stated that “85% of the new work force will be in the four Information Age areas; High Tech, Environmental Organisations, Health-Care Industries and markets that cater for the Elderly”. As managers continue to speculate about the new opportunities, challenges and uncertainties associated with change, then thriving, surviving or even staying relevant will become a major concern for many.

Maintaining your employability will be an ongoing challenge as you prepare for uncertain times. Reflect on these facts…

* Managers are likely to change their jobs several times in their careers

* Technology will create millions of jobs and eliminate even more

* Staff will be more global and flexible in their working practices

* Lifelong learning will be essential

* Training will be delivered ‘on-demand’

* Organisations will pay for the value of the person, not the job

* Projects will take over from jobs as the driving force behind productivity

So what can you do to guarantee your employability in the future…?

* Be up-to-date with technological advances. There is simply no option. You must know what’s going on or you will become obsolete

* Be mobile. If not physically, in your mind. You must adopt a mentality for mobility, as this will allow your expertise and experience to be more marketable

* Continue to develop your people skills. People with high emotional intelligence will always be in demand. You must be able to motivate and get the best out of people

* Embrace change willingly and enthusiastically. Your attitude to change and your willingness to drive it rather than be a victim of it will make you stand out in employers’ eyes

* Commit to lifelong learning. By standing still, you get left behind. This will help you to become more versatile and valuable to employers. Keep listening to positive CDs and MP3s. Download and immerse yourself in positive influences. You’ll learn so much from people who have been there and done that before you

* Become visible in your business. Network. Build relationships with people of influence inside and outside your industry

* Get yourself a coach.All top performers in business have a personal coach, and yours will keep your eye on the goal and keep you motivated to contribute successfully

* Become known as a valuable team player, with strong problem-solving and decision-making skills

* Become someone who creates your future rather than just waiting for it to happen.That’s the only way you can stay valuable to an employer

The cream always rises to the top, so keep yourself in touch with progress and you’ll be the one headhunted in the future rather than hunting for work.

Thanks again

Sean

Sean
Sean McPheat
Managing Director
MTD Management Course

Click below for a:
FREE email course “Improve Your Management Skills”

It’s been said that there are three types of people in business: – those who make things happen, those who watch things happen and those who ask “what the heck happened?”!

At the start of each month, it’s a good time to analyse how you want the next month to be, so you can look ahead with control and anticipation, rather than look back with regret.

The start of the month gives you a chance to review what went right last month, what can be corrected, and gives you an opportunity to renew, regroup, recommit and reinvent yourself as a manager and leader.

It’s a process that can renew your energy and rejuvenate your motivation. So, what’s the best way of going about it?

• Spend 30 minutes or so with your monthly calendar. Write down all your deadline dates, when projects are due, important meetings, personal and business appointments, and other important dates. Then, working backwards, estimate how much time you’ll need to prepare for each event or project. Enter the start date on your calendar, and then you’ll have a vision of how you need to work to accomplish the goal.

• Make a plan for your own development this month. Read a professional journal, improve a specific skill, write an item for a newsletter or journal, attend a short seminar or course…anything that will improve your contribution to your own personal and business development.

• Now work to a weekly plan. Set deadlines for next week, so you know what are the urgent things that need doing. Practice efficiencies with paper, e.g. handle each piece of paper only once. Notice when you procrastinate, prepare and be on time for every meeting and become a better delegator.

• A strategy you might want to follow is the OATS formula: Have Objectives written down in priority order, plan Activities that will help you achieve your goals, allow the Time to achieve those goals, and Schedule when is the best time to acco0mplish each goal

• Manage your relationships well this month. Make an effort to ensure every member of your team feels important. Remember the old phrase ‘catch someone doing something right’. Be consistent in the way you lead your team, rather than making it depend on whatever mood you are in, and do just one thing this month that will make your work environment a better place for others to work in. For example, when was the last time you bought some fruit or doughnuts in for your team?

• Make a monthly resolution to do one thing better this month. Then do it again next month. And the next. Slowly but surely, you’ll see the team respond to you and, by setting this example, you encourage all to contribute to the whole business in a positive and motivational way.

All this will mean maintaining a proactive management style, giving you the chance to make a really good impression on higher management and clients.

Let us know how it goes. Be the kind of person who makes things happen; then you won’t have to look back and wonder what the heck happened! Have a great month!

Thanks again

Sean
Sean McPheat
Managing Director
MTD Management Course

Click below for a:
FREE email course “Improve Your Management Skills”