We had an interesting question this week on our management course that opened up a good discussion on leadership.

The question came from a new manager who had been promoted from among his peers and was now managing people who were much more knowledgeable and experienced than he was. His question was how should he manage such people.

My reply was…”Don’t!”

By that, I meant don’t try to manage them. Managing someone who has more ability, experience or knowledge than you do has its pitfalls and its benefits. By managing them, you stifle their creativity and innovation. I asked the manager why he felt it necessary to actually manage the knowledgeable ex-peer. That opened up a new topic as to how much autonomy and responsibility the person should have, and if he should be managed at all.

The group suggested that he should lead the other person, allowing him to show leadership qualities himself. Trying to ‘manage’ wouldn’t work.

Instead, the leader should:

* Discuss what roles and responsibilities the person should have, and agree on how those should be carried out

* Agree any targets that should be set for the subordinate

* Give them the freedom and authority to achieve those targets themselves, with the manager holding the resource purse strings and the accountability

* Set parameters for the ex-peer to work to, but allow them to control it

* Concentrate on results rather than methods

* Use the experience of the ex-peer to drive things forward, supporting their decisions and allowing them to create further opportunities

* Encourage them to share their experiences and learn from them

* Ensure you, as manager, take full responsibility for their results, and help them achieve higher goals if possible

What you’re trying to do is create the environment for the ex-peer to still contribute to the success of the department without feeling that he has been overlooked or that his experience is of no value. On the contrary, it is of great value and should be seen to be that way by all team members.

So, don’t try and manage this kind of employee…keep their motivation and creativity going by showing excellence in leadership.

Thanks again

Mark

Mark Williams

Head of Training

MTD Management Training Course

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 (Images by Renjith Krishnan)

When you delegate tasks to your teammate, you should also be delegating the autonomy and ownership of that task to them. If you don’t, maybe because you have worries about how they might complete it, you undermine the value of their work and send messages of mistrust.

First of all, think of the benefits of allowing your team member to take on more responsibility… They will take greater pride in the work and its success…They will work smarter and more productively…They will use more of their creativity…And they will learn more ideas for the future

So, how do you create ownership and allow them to flourish in their new-found responsibility?

Here are some ideas…

Show them the Big Picture: This lets people feel confident and create the best results. If you do this, they will know how this project or task relates to the bigger goals. Make sure they know how their success will impact others or the organisation, and your customers.

Take a step back. Difficult, I know, but essential. If you want people to have ownership, you have to give it to them. If you want others to own a project or task, you have to turn it over to them, and let them do it. Also, when you have mentally let go of the project or task, it’s easier to concentrate on the things you need to do.

Support. Once you have delegated, you then support. Be there to guide but not direct. Be a facilitator to. If it is their responsibility, they need to own it – if you rescue them by taking it back, you destroy their confidence and show them through your actions (however well intentioned) that they never owned it to start with.

Don’t tell them the answers: When you have handed off the project, people will have questions. You will want to answer their questions, but resist. Ask them how they will solve their challenge, rather than solving it for them. Listen carefully (an important part of your support) and help when needed, but talk less and listen more.

Talk about the ‘what’ rather than the ‘how’: By telling them how the job should be done, you chip away at their creativity. Besides, you want them to own the journey as well as the end destination. So if you have an idea of how it should be done, let your teammate find or discover it, rather than show them.
Remember; what you’re trying to create are partners in the problem-solving journey. By allowing them to own the task, you get more commitment.

This is very different from them simply doing a task because you didn’t want to do it. Think of delegating tasks that will develop their skills and thinking abilities. That way, the pride in commitment grows and the instilling of ownership flourishes.

Thanks again

Sean

Sean McPheat
Managing Director
MTD Management Course

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You’re the manager. The buck stops with you. But that doesn’t mean you have to be the one to do it all.

England’s cricket captain, Andrew Strauss, in their glorious Ashes performance in Australia (OK, I just had to get that one in!) was very quick to place the reason for the team’s success on the quality of his team. It wasn’t a one-man-band, by any stretch of the imagination. When one man failed, another stood up to take the helm.

And when it comes to delegating responsibility, that’s the attitude we need to take. Management is a team game and if you don’t rely on team-members to get things done, what’s the point in having a team in the first place?

Here are some tips about how to approach the business of delegating that will save your time and get you the help you need:

* Ask for help, don’t demand that they do the task. It will create a better frame of mind in the person being delegated to

* Make sure the person has a clear picture of the purpose of any delegated work and knows what kind of results you expect. Take the time to talk it through, explaining specifically what you’re looking for.

* Give the person all the information and other resources they’ll need to complete the project.

* Set a realistic deadline that’s agreeable and workable for both of you.

* Keep yourself available for questions, and when necessary ask for periodic progress reports.

* Don’t assume a person will be able to complete a delegated task without any additional help or assistance from you.

* Give the person the opportunity to be use their creativity and imagination and take the initiative.

* Keep track of the delegated work, creating deadlines and milestones so you both can keep up to date

* When the project has been completed, give lots of praise and credit for a job well done.

Delegating effectively should produce dual results: The job is completed on time by a person whose skills have been developed and improved, and you have had some time to get on with work that only you can do, to the betterment of all involved.

Delegating is a skill you should learn to develop effectively. If you do, like Andrew Strauss, you will reap the rewards of a great team effort.

Thanks again

Sean

Sean McPheat
Managing Director
MTD Management Course

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I know that quite a few of you have trouble when it comes to delegating your authority – you’re just afraid to do it. I came across a tidbit of information the other day that I thought might help you. It involved distinguishing the difference between two words: abdication and delegation.

As a manager it is your job to allocate work tasks, whether you keep them for yourself or give them to your team members. When it comes to allocating that work, you can either abdicate or delegate.

When a manager participates in abdication he is giving his team members work that he should really be keeping for himself. This is not good. It doesn’t benefit the team or the project and, in reality, only opens the team up for errors and problems later on down the line.

On the other hand, when a manager delegates work he is giving his team members specific projects that were deliberately designed for the team. The tasks he delegates are designed to help the team members learn about the task and do their jobs more effectively. Tasks that are delegated are meant to help employees grow.

When you look at those two terms it makes the task of delegating a little more palatable. Know the difference between the two words and if you ever find yourself questioning a task just stop and ask yourself – am I abdicating or delegating? The answers will make your task much easier!

Thanks again,
Sean

Sean McPheat
Managing Director
MTD Management Training Course

Click below for a:
Free email course “Improve your Management Skills”

The delegation of authority is a difficult skill for most new managers. The first time I found myself preparing to delegate a task I had an overwhelming sense of worry. After all, up until that point I had taken responsibility for every single project I’d ever worked on. What if my team didn’t live up to my expectations?

As a manager, this is exactly the sort of thought process you need to break away from. As we’ve discussed before, you’ve chosen the members of your team for a reason – they’re all skilled enough to get the job done!

Now you simply have to learn HOW to delegate a task. There are three main components to consider:

1. Assigning the task;
2. Granting your employee the authority to complete the task; and
3. Creating accountability.

Assigning the task is all well and good, but if your employee doesn’t have the authority to access certain files or perform certain functions than you may as well have done the project yourself. When you make the assignment you must tell your employee exactly what he has the authority to do, especially if that means granting authority he doens’t necessarily have.

You also need to make sure your employee is accountable for the project once it’s been assigned. Make it clear that the task is not optional – it must be completed within a reasonable amount of time.

The three parts of the delegation process don’t happen automatically just because you decide to delegate a task. You must clearly communicate your ideas, visions, and goals to the employees you’re working with. Make sure you touch all of the bases and you’ll have a properly completed project exactly when you expect to receive it!

Thanks again,

Sean

Sean McPheat
Managing Director
MTD Management Training

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