Effective Delegation – Supporting the Development of Your Employees

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Developing the potential of our colleagues and employees is one of the pillars of any manager’s role. Effective delegation skills are therefore a critical part of a manager’s armory of assets.

There is no short cut to the art of mastering delegation but here are some ideas which we hope you will find useful.

Almost any task can be delegated. On a daily basis we routinely delegate work which, in theory and in practice, we could do ourselves.  Think about it. Did you delegate the making of your lunch today? Do you delegate part of the education of your children? Do you delegate the farming, transportation, and preparation of the food you will eat tonight?

Here is a seven step system of delegation that we have found to be effective in supporting managers with their mastery of delegation.  Good luck with WORDUSE for DELEGATION

1)      Why are you delegating this particular task – explain the reasons to your colleague. If it’s because you trust them to do a great job then tell them. Delegation is also about  the personal  development of your colleagues – explain this to them too.

2)      Outcome – be clear about what outcome you desire and what is expected. If your colleague has a clear picture (and you do too) about what is expected then there is a good chance you will both succeed.

3)      Resources – detail precisely what resources are available… and remember that the most valuable resource is probably you and your knowledge. Explain that this is available too!

4)      Deadlines – set and agree progress reporting deadlines, set and agree milestones. Better to have the deadlines close together initially. Once you, and your colleague, are confident that the task is in hand, understood fully, and proceeding well then the frequency and intensity of reporting can be reduced.

5)      Understanding – check that there is understanding of your communication by asking your colleague to explain in their own words about what is required, when, and why. A useful question that you could ask might be “So that I can make sure that I have explained everything clearly please can you tell me in your own words precisely what I have asked you to do?” After all in communication what is important is what is understood, not what was actually said or was actually written down.

6)     Set controls – there is a difference between delegation and abdication. In delegation you are fully responsible for the eventual outcomes. Set up and agree controls, for example,  around financial expenditure, use of other team members, and use of outside agencies.

7)    Encouragement – offer support and encouragement. The idea is that the task will be completed on time and to an excellent standard. Much more chance of this happening with your support and encouragement!

 

At Wentworth Jones we offer a range of in-house leadership and management development courses aimed at enabling you and your business in being  even more successful. Please contact us today  for a no obligation discussion about your ideas and requirements.

What we need is more collaboration not more competition

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Collaboration not Competition -

guest post by David C Roberts

Whilst competition may bring the illusion of short term gains it must now be avoided in favour of an approach that makes the very best possible use of the limited resources that will be available to us all in the coming years.In my experience of working with organisations over the last 30 years it has become clear to me that when individuals, teams, organisations, and even governments collaborate great things can be achieved.

Lets have a look at a few examples of how collaboration works to improve the everyday life of citizens:

Healthcare – If you were under the surgeons knife would you want the team striving to save your life to be working together as a unit or to be in competition with each other?  Just close your eyes for a few moments and imagine what would happen if the theatre team behaved in the way that you, or some of your colleagues, do.

Innovation – How many of the great inventions of our time have been developed by an individual working alone? Not many.  I can, however, think of many examples of innovations that have been achieved by team working: The motor car; insulin; space travel; champions league football -
all of these have been achieved as a result of collaboration over a sustained period of time.

Community – Great communities are forged by individuals forming groups for the benefit of all. Great communities never consist of individuals working for personal gain.

Encouraging collaboration and co-operation is the responsibility of all of us and in particular the responsibility of senior management.  At home this is the job of parents, at school it is the job of the teachers, and at work it is the primary responsibility of the senior management team- the leaders.

How can we do this?

When organisations reward and recognise people for individual achievements then the organisation unwittingly or wittingly undermines collaboration. A strategy for ensuring collaboration may include the following charachteristics, which were identified by Will and Kenneth Hopper, that the early Puritan migrants to America found so effective.

First, the organisation needs crystal clarity as to its purpose; secondly, there needs to be an acceptance that the group is much more important than the individual; third, those leading should only be leading if they have a thorough understanding of the organisation –  also known as domain knowledge; fourth the organisation needs to galvanise its resources; and finally new technology needs to be embraced.

It will come as no suprise that once these charachteristics were abandoned in favour of short term individual greed the current financial crisis ensued.

This post was inspired by the following publications.
The Times Business Book of the Year Will and Ken Hoppper’s The Puritan Gift

David Roberts works to help individuals, teams, organisations, and communities  collaborate and achieve more. He can be contacted by email at david@wentworthjones.com

Children ask great questions so why don’t we?

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Guest post by David C Roberts

Toddlers ask great questions. Sometimes I wonder if children have been secretly trained at a leading law school. They are curious, they are interested in things and they ask open questions; who, what, when, where and how questions.  Once the bit is between their teeth they then  launch in with repeated salvos of  the why?  question.

And then, just as they start to get mastery of the art of asking great questions,  we (the parents) step in with the artillery and use the words ‘because I said so.’  The result might be that we encourage our children to stop asking questions and to start interpreting and using their own creativity to work out what is going on. The result might be that we (the parents and the other authorities)  remove, unintentionally, little by little, the natural inquisitiveness of our young people.

Many years later, when our young children are grey haired and  sat as members of a select committee of MPs asking questions of powerful press barons, how useful would it be if they could recall those childhood days and start to ask those telling open questions and the telling  follow-up why questions?

The child’s approach  to questions (which i list below) might be a useful lesson for us all both as leaders and as parents.

1) Be interested and curious about what is going on around us. Be interested in what other people are doing and what they are curious about. You may find out important information and you may also uncover opportunities for collaboration. (Children call this making friends – in business we call it networking).

2) Use open questions. Questions which require more than a yes/no answer.  Questions which start with how, what, why. Ask about how people feel about things as this question is much easier to answer than answering the question what do you think. When investigating ask why and keep asking why.

3) Resist the temptation to interpret too early, to jump (and we probably do) to too quick a conclusion. Dig a little deeper and it is more likely you will uncover what is really going on.

Try it and let me know how you get on.

About David

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Latent Knowledge – what is it and why is it important?

By On · 1 Comment · In Coaching, Education, Facilitation, Learning, Management Help

 

Guest post by David C Roberts

Physics may or may not have been your favourite subject, however I am sure you will remember the lessons about latent heat and how when steam condenses it gives up heat (latent heat)  a heat so potent that it can easily burn you. Even if you cannot remember the physics lesson then you will be well aware that putting your hand near the steam that comes out of the kettle is a very bad idea. In the simplest terms latent heat is heat that is released or absorbed by a substance when it changes state (for example steam to water)  without changing temperature. The word latent was born from the Latin word latere meaning to lie hidden.

So what is ‘Latent Knowledge’ ?

Latent knowledge is the knowledge that we have that we have not yet harnessed. Like the latent heat contained in steam latent knowledge has substantial power and  potential yet it lies hidden in the history of our experiences. The power of  latent knowledge lies in the understanding that a considerable amount of energy has been expended to gain this knowledge, but only a small amount of effort is required to access this knowledge  (we can compare this with the huge amount of energy that is required to boil a kettle and then how easily the resultant steam can condense and burn) .

Why might  knowledge lie latent?

In theory we learn from our experiences ( hopefully).  Something happens, we reflect on what has happened, and then we change our future actions as a result.  But do we really learn from our experiences all that could be learned, or do we learn only part of what can possibly be learned?  Thinking of an example from a failed business. The business owner was asked what went wrong and he answered ” The Bank was unhelpful, there was a slump in the economy, and it was difficult to get good staff.”  When asked what did you learn from the experience he replied “You can’t rely on banks, and I’ve learned  I’m never going to go into business again.”

At this point the business owner’s learning is little more than rationalisation and blame, yet the experience, the considerable effort, and the energy that had been expended in running his business must have resulted in much more learning. So where has this learning gone? Where is the knowledge?  It has gone nowhere; the knowledge is lying latent awaiting the time when it can condense and release its potency.

How can Latent Knowledge be released?

A way of releasing latent knowledge may be to recognise that during episodes when we expend a considerable amount of energy  it is likely that there is a significant amount of potential learning and therefore creation of latent knowledge (the more difficult the episode seems the more likely that an increased amount of latent knowledge has been stored).  By asking the question “what could I have learned from this experience?” may allow the process of unlocking and releasing some of the latent knowledge that you have accrued.

 

Effective Delegation

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A principle leadership skill is the art and practice of effective delegation. If you are good at your job then it is likely that people and customers will want more from you. Whilst your business is growing this is an excellent thing; however you may reach a point when you feel a real sense of pressure, of being overwhelmed, stress, and a sensation that you may be letting people down. The growth of your business, your career, becomes limited. The most effective way of overcoming this limitation is to learn and master the art and practice of delegation. The Ten Principles of effective delegation.

The following principles may give a guideline to managing the process of effective delegation successfully.

1) Clearly articulate the desired outcome. Begin with the end in mind and specify the desired results.

2) Explain why you have chosen the particular task to de delegated and why you have chosen the particular person to delegate this task to. Is the delegation part of the development process of this person?

3) Delegate to the lowest possible level in the organisation. This principle is based on the idea that the people closest to the coal face, closest to the work, are the most knowledgeable of the details of everyday work.

4) Identify the constraints and boundaries. What are the lines of authority, the responsibility and accountability? Decide if the person whom you are delegating the task to must wait to be told what to do, or should they initiate action? Should they make recommendations or should they act and then report back?

5) Remember that if you are delegating a task you are only delegating the task – the responsibility for the task remains with you.

6) Use the time that you have created for yourself to provide adequate support to your colleagues who you have delegated tasks to. Great, regular, communication and supportive monitoring is a key to successful delegation.

7) Keep your focus on the results of the delegation and not in the way that your colleagues are doing the task. Allowing an individual to control her own process and methods of completing a task will build trust and confidence.

8) When things are not progressing well avoid upward delegation i.e. accepting the task back. When a problem occurs seek recommendations and possible solutions from your colleagues as doing this will accelerate learning – providing answers will not.

9) Establish time and dates for updates – more often at the start of the project and less frequently as the colleague takes hold of the task.

10) Make time and take time to review work that is submitted to you.

Initially, initiating effective delegation takes time and commitment on your part, but once your skills in delegating increase your will reap significant rewards. Your team will grow in terms of ability and commitment to the business. The quality of your life will improve as you will have more time to focus on the things that are most important to you.

 

Facilitation and Translation

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“It is one thing to translate words, but translating feelings is the gift of a select few” Carlos Ancelotti talking about Ray Wilkins.

The role of the facilitator is often misunderstood, and in many cases undervalued. A facilitator can ensure that meetings move forward effectively, they can perceive misunderstandings, and crucially can often spot opportunities. Chelsea Football Club benefited from the experience facilitation of Ray Wilkins until their shock decision on November 2011 that his services as a middleman were no longer needed.

From a narrow perspective the role of the facilitator can seen to be an unnecessary expense, however to Mr Ancelotti and Chelsea Football Club the loss of Mr Ray Wilkins has proved to be a very expensive efficiency cut.

Keeping Excited About Your Business

By On · 1 Comment · In Education, Executive Education, Learning, Management Help

Are you still excited about your business?  If the answer is an unreserved ‘YES’  then that is wonderful. If your attitude is,  well maybe, sometimes, not any more, or something similar then that would not be unusual, and depending on the  stage that your business is going through there may be an explanation to shed some light on matters.

In the early stages of planning and starting a business it is all about excitement. The excitement of a new venture, the excitement of new possibilities and the excitement of a future that, whilst uncertain, will be different from the experiences you had before you decided to start your venture. Of all the elements of a successful business plan the most important ingredient for a new start business  (in our experience) is belief in what you are about to do and also enthusiasm. When belief and enthusiasm come together we have excitement.

Can you recall that feeling that you had when you took your first order? Can you recall the feeling you had when you received payment for your first piece of work? Can you recall the feeling you had when one of your customers called you and asked for some more of your products, services, and ideas. Do you remember the excitement of putting together a proposal (even though it took all night)? And do you remember the first time that a customer said ‘Thank you’?  Alas these feelings can pass as the business becomes established and you move from the role of entrepreneur to the role of bureaucrat and administrator. Bureaucracy and administration are not the words we would use to conjure up visions of excitement and pleasure. How then  can you return to the excitement of those early days when you are faced with the challenge of managing a business?

At Wentworth Jones we have found that there can be a number of strategies to help you re create the excitement of those early days and here are just three of our ideas.

  • Take some time away from the day to day and remember the achievements that you have accomplished so far. What kind of things made you happy?
  • Give yourself permission to imagine and dream for a while. Imagine a perfect outcome for your company. What would it look like, who would be working with you, who would be your customers and what would they say about you and your business, where would you be based?
  • Invest some time in describing what you are really good at and what you really enjoy doing. Compare this with the job you actually do each day. Are you doing stuff that other members of your team would be more suited at doing?

Let us know how you get on – we would like to hear from you.

At Wentworth Jones we work with our clients so that they can be more successful in both their business and their private lives. If the excitement has faded from your business and you would like to explore some ideas about how it can be recaptured then please contact us at hello@wentworthjones.com.

These two short video clips are of delegates who attended a Wentworth Jones led workshop recently. They seem excited about their businesses.

Excited about business after a Wentworth Jones lead workshop

Recapture the feeling about being inspired to start a business

Success and Happiness

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I have been thinking about definitions of success and also doing some reading around the subject -

Happiness seems to play an important role.

My own world view has been for sometime that success is a very personal thing and that each individual defines success in his or her own way. An example of success (for me at this juncture in life) would be something as simple as participating with my daughter whilst she learns something new. Another example would be when one of the students, whom I teach, has an ah-ha moment and is able to explain a new concept. Success is also about my own professional consultancy and the feelings that I have when I do piece of work well.

Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (2004) writes about good business – his research into how leaders make sense of what they do. Drawing on the work of Abraham Maslow he describes the progress towards self actualisation or happiness:

In the first stages the basic needs for survival are required. Food, clothing, a roof over our heads. Satisfying hunger brings a sense of happiness when your basic needs are not automatically provided for however, once these basic needs are there additional clothing or more heating are unlikely to make an individual happy, a twelve bedroom mansion with three swimming pools will not provide happiness, in fact it may lead to a sense of loneliness; The next stage is that humans require a sense of security , or keeping what they have already – police , a strong army, just laws, a stable economy are required. Even all these characteristics are not often enough to provide happiness; Next is the search for love, to belong, to be a part of a community and maybe at this stage we go in search of things that make us more loveable – fancy clothes, cosmetics, hair colours, or we join societies, take part in church activities, or search out more learning opportunities; Many people leave happy and contented lives at this level , but some search for more. Their search for “the next gateway” is self-esteem. This can be found in an honourable profession, it can be found in power or fame, or it can be found in the symbols of success. This is enough for some but for others there are still more requirements – self actualisation.

Self actualisation is about being the best we can be, it is about being able to express all of the potential that we have. Csikszentmihalyi explains that “It is as if evolution has built a safety device in our nervous system that allows us to experience full happiness only when we are living at 100% – when we are fully using the physical and mental equipment that we have been given.” He further argues that this ‘mechanism’ ensures that after all of our other needs have been met there is an inbuilt desire to use the full armoury of of our talents which enable us to preserve the status quo and also innovate and grow.

So how does all this apply to measurement and performance?
A Good business is therefore one which seeks ‘self actualisation’ one which serves a useful purpose and one which enables those working within it to grow and flourish. A good business is not just about inputs and outputs it is also about the group of people that work within it. Organisations which consider their employees have a higher output, less absenteeism, lower staff turnover.
Good business, in Csiksentmihalyi’s words, is not measured therefore on profit but on how it makes a contribution to human happiness. An argument offered too by the Hopper brothers in their award winning publication ‘The Puritan Gift’

At Wentworth Jones we work with our clients to help them distinguish the important things in their business and private life, enabling them to live more fulfilled careers, enjoy greater success, and have more meaningful personal lives.

References for further reading

Csikszentmihalyi, M., (2004), Good Business, Hodder and Stoughton, Kent.

Hopper, K and Hopper, W., (2009), The Puritan Gift, I.B.Taurus, London.

A Unique Way of Delivering Enterprise Education – Global Enterprise Education Tour

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In the spring of 2011 David C Roberts will embark on a global enterprise education tour with the purpose of sharing best practice in delivery of  enterprise education and enterprise learning. The programme is called ‘A unique way of delivering enterprise education’

In these times of global change and economic uncertainty it is more vital than ever that young people are encouraged to go out and have a go at doing business. David feels that by sharing the best practice and know how of enterprise education then more educators — especially those working in academia –will be empowered to inspire their current and future students to go out and do business: Good business.

Starting in his home city of Manchester, U.K., David will share with students, entrepreneurs, and local business people one of his workshops.  Facilitators from his local University will then deliver their enterprise workshops. The intention is that the participants and  facilitators will then synthesise the most powerful aspects of the workshops and David will travel to the next location and repeat the process. The intention is that during the tour a unique way of delivering enterprise education can be developed and shared amongst all of the participants.

How can you get involved?

If you are and educator or administrator involved in Higher Education and you would like to partner with this event we would like to hear from you. In the first instance please e-mail hello@wentworthjones.com

It is planned that the trip may include the delivery and sharing of enterprise education workshops in Ireland, The United Kingdom, Germany, Croatia, Romania, Turkey, Oman, Tanzania, South Africa, Pakistan, India, China, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, South America, USA, and Canada.

Do something now! Stop procrastinating!

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Business leaders,  managers and entrepreneurs  face many problems, some of these issues are important and some of these issues are urgent.  Business leaders, managers, entrepreneurs often have more ideas, more tasks to do, and more demands than they feel that they have time to deal with. Additionally most human beings have a trait that does not help in these situations. This trait, this characteristic, is called procrastination – the art of putting something off until another time.

Procrastination as a skill!

Most articles I have read about procrastination warn the reader of its (procrastinations)  perils.  ”Don’t put off until tomorrow what you can do today” “A small problem becomes large if you don’t deal with it” and my favorite from William James  ”Nothing is so fatiguing as the eternal hanging on of an uncompleted task.”  I am yet to be convinced that these kind of statements are in any way helpful. Moreover, I am convinced that these kind of statements can often make things worse by reminding the reader of his inadequacies, and causing further rumination. These statements offer little how to do things, they offer little practical wisdom, and they are unhelpful to the individual who is struggling with the daily weight of much to do and little time to do things in.

The ability to procrastinate is a skill and it is a skill that should be celebrated. Rejoice procrastinators! Permission is now granted for you to leave things until another day. It is a skill that can be sharpened too and Paul Graham offers some interesting thoughts on how your skills of procrastination can be honed by seeing procrastination in three variants. Paul writes:

“There are three variants of procrastination, depending on what you do instead of working on something: you could work on (a) nothing, (b) something less important, or (c) something more important. “

Good procrastination then is about giving yourself permission to leave things, to put off doing some things,  so that you can focus on something more important. The reason why some things are left might just be that you have already decided that they are not the most important things to do right now.

But there is another force at work — the ghost of F W Taylor– our target driven, numbers orientated society. This is the force of  the economic model that we work and live within that seems to place more importance on efficiency rather than effectiveness. A model that seems to place more relevance on urgency rather than importance. A model that seems to place more importance on capital than it does on people.

Procrastination is good once we have understood the difference between what is important and what is urgent. Not doing something now, putting something off,  in favour of doing something more important and something more effective is perfectly acceptable.

At Wentworth Jones we work with our clients to help them distinguish the important things in their business and private life enabling them to live more fulfilled careers, and more meaningful personal lives.

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