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I was umming and ahhing on what to write about this week for the newsletter!
Playing the game of work?
Stakeholder management?
Strategy?
All good topics to write about and perhaps this is a list for the next few newsletters but I decided to settle on delegation.
Learning to Delegate
If you want to grow your role into leadership, one of the best ways to do this is to get others to do things for you! Whoo hoo!
The harder thing to do is to trust others to do things for you.
Then the harder thing again is to tack accountability for others doing the work.
If you cannot delegate and trust others then your ability to lead a team and leadership tenure is going to be short lived.
You will burn out.
I have seen this happen to a few people around me in my career and even been on the fringes myself.
I have seen many people take too much on themselves because often in the moment it is quicker or so they say!
Not taking the time to help develop others and set them up for success is likely the slower route, in the end you are making yourself a big blocker.
Three Development Stages of your Career
There is a stage that you go through in your career journey:
- Me
- We
- Them
I think that I am heading back to me again as I enter more of a portfolio career.
Lets talk about those stages:
Me
You are focused on you. What you can achieve. All the work that you do is about shining the light on the work that you are doing.
A bit of that look at me.
We have likely all been that person or seen that person in the office.
Or perhaps we have a friend who is all about themselves. Maybe you are leading a small team but it is still about you.
You are directing and controlling the team. The team is not really coming up with the ideas. You are.
(Gosh - no wonder you are so tired all the time - it is quite the burden to be carrying around).
We
The We stage is focused on the team, more servant leadership and more focus on the team being successful.
You as the leader are actively delegating accountability and responsibility to the team.
This is when you hear yourself when asked a question say,' What do you think?'.
This is when your go to is more to ask the team than to tell the team.
This is when you are giving the problems that teams have back to them to solve and you are more part of a collective.
Them
The them stage is when you can go on holidays and the team has got it. They are running the show and you have the time to do other things. This is likely the time that you want to start to think about your next career move.
Delegating MORE
Make this part of your career toolkit.
- Identify Tasks for Delegation: Determine which tasks can be delegated by evaluating their importance and urgency. Tasks that are repetitive, administrative, or within the expertise of team members are ideal for delegation.
- Select the Right People: Match tasks to team members based on their skills, experience, and current workload. Ensure that the chosen individuals are capable and have the resources needed to complete the tasks.
- Communicate Clearly: Provide clear instructions, expectations, and deadlines. Ensure that team members understand the importance of the tasks and how they fit into the broader goals.
- Empower Team Members: Give team members the authority to make decisions related to their tasks. Trust them to handle the responsibilities without excessive oversight.
- Provide Support and Resources: Ensure that team members have the tools, training, and support they need to succeed. Be available to answer questions and provide guidance as necessary.
- Monitor Progress and Provide Feedback: Regularly check in on progress and offer constructive feedback. Recognize accomplishments and provide insights for improvement.
- Reflect and Adjust: After the tasks are completed, review the delegation process. Learn from successes and challenges to improve future delegation efforts.
And finally - accept no-one is going to do it quite like you. In fact they could surprise you and do it better.
Warm regards,
Sam McIntyre
Lady Leadership xx
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