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The Secret to Successful SUPERvising: Delegating

Successful SUPERvisors set themselves apart with one very distinguishing attribute: the ability to delegate.  At some point in their career, they were able to let go of the excuses associated with not delegating and embrace the course of action required to effectively delegate tasks to employees.  The issue is never telling people what to do; instead it’s the unwillingness to share authority and responsibility, the resistance of putting complete trust in team members and the lack of motivation to commit to support the team member with the task.    A SUPERvisor puts a lot on the line when they delegate, but even more when they don’t.    Below is a 5 step course of action practiced by many SUPERvisors who delegate effectively:

1.   Decide to delegate
     Establish which tasks you will farm out
     Know how you will approach & assign the tasks to employees (in private, during dept. meeting, etcetera…)
     Remember to (on less crucial projects) allow employees to choose tasks they’d like to work on.
   
2. Select the right delegate
   Consider experience, skills, strengths and weaknesses; your goal is to set them up for success, not failure. 
   Get your team excited about the selection
   Make the delegate feel special  and make sure everyone can see what’s in it for them
   
   
3. Arrange a “business” meeting: 
   A meeting will make it official, create accountability and establish commitment
   Explain why they have been chosen to complete the task/ project
   Describe the task, the timeline and the outcome you are looking for (tie it in to the team’s ultimate goal)
   Answer any questions the employee may have
   Set expectations
   Give clear instructions on responsibility and authority
   Ask how they plan on getting the job done (provide guidance if they are off track)
   Set up a progress report time schedule and establish how you will communicate (in-person, email…)
   Inform them that you are available for questions and that you want to know about obstacles along the way
   
   
4. Build Trust
   Allow your delegate to head the task/project his/her way
   When questions or obstacles arise, guide your employee to a decision rather than making the decision yourself
   Be available for support even when you don’t have immediate time available by setting time for a later meeting
   Set routine times for progress report/check up meetings so that you know that your employee is working on the task at hand and so that your employee sees that you trust and believe they can get the job done
   
   
5. Accept, Respond and Recognize
   Review all work carefully
   Provide an evaluation and critique of work submitted, this includes complimenting the work and sending it back if it lacks something or if something needs to be modified. 
   When the work is acceptable, accept the work and recognize it amongst the team. 

As leaders, these Successful SUPERvisors know that the end results depend on them.  The course of action and time they take to guide and supervise their delegates set the task/project up for success or failure.  These leaders take full responsibility for the outcome and don’t forget that in the end, they are the ones ultimately responsible for production.  

Delegate it.

Del*e*gate

1.  give task to somebody else
                to give a task to somebody else with responsibility to act on your behalf

2.  give authority to somebody else
                to give somebody else the power to act, make decisions, or allocate resources on your behalf

As cliché as it sounds, managers have a tendency to forget to manage; supervisors, sometimes, forget to supervise.  What’s the number one cause for failing to do their job right?  Taking on more than they can handle; in other words, failing to delegate.  Often times, they lose sight of their most important duty, assigning tasks, responsibility and decision making power out to the team.  According to Mitch McCrimmon, managers who aren’t delegating rationalize that “it takes more time to delegate than do it myself, no one is competent enough or we can’t afford to get it wrong.”  The truth is, delegating leaves you with more time to work on more important tasks, gives your employees growth opportunities and builds confidence amongst team members.    

This week, notice how many times a day you actually delegate something out to your team.  Observe how you feel when you do it and how you rationalize it when you choose to do it yourselves.   Delegate one thing to an employee that you usually would take care of yourself.  

Remember, a SUPERvisor is:

a super advisor. A fantastic, terrific, excellent coach, mentor and/or work guide; a leader – YOU

Take Action:    Delegate

Keep On: 

Supercharge Employees

Interval Train

 Encourage employees to start at the finish line
Setting the Pace.  Establish a speed and standard for production

Talking:  Communicate at all times; your job is to remind your team what they are working towards

Looking back at what you’ve done; evaluate your progress.

Being Proactive rather than reactive

Communicating the vision, state direction, involve and challenge the team to go for it!   

Acting out and aligning your values with your company values and those of your employees.   Walk the talk.

Delivering the VIP Treatment

Being the Expert Extraordinaire

Giving and continue to establish a good reputation

Copycatting the Successful SUPERvisors of your past

Telling yourself that you’re a Super SUPERvisor!
Believing; remember, you’ve made the conscious decision to lead.