How Do I Delegate?

“I am exhausted.  Do I just need to get better at delegating?”

I hear this a lot in my coaching sessions.  I hear it from seasoned leaders and managers.

Does it sound like you too?

You know how to cast vision.  You know how to build and manage teams.  You know how to structure project plans.  You know how to follow-up and hold people accountable.

With the leaders I support, it is only upon further inspection that the comments reveal a very specific skill they haven’t yet mastered.

• “I have some people on my team who just do the thing.  And some people who just DON’T.”

• “I don’t want to be a micromanager.  Plus, some of my staff members don’t need to be treated that way.”

• “Sometimes it’s just so much more efficient to do it myself than to have to follow-up a bunch of times with the people who don’t get it done.”

The problem is not these leaders’ lack of skills or their commitment to outcomes.

Rather, they are missing a key strategy — how to match the just-right management-style to each team member.

Ask the Coach: "Do I just need to get better at delegating?"

I love a variation on the “Situational Leadership Framework” from Ken Blanchard as a straightforward way to get started here.

Think about each of your employees with regard to both their competence and their commitment.  My favorite shorthand: their SKILL and their WILL.

Start by asking the following questions:

• How well does this team member know how to do the project/task/objective?

• How motivated and confident is this individual to do the project/task/objective?

Based on a general assessment of their skill and their will, you can place them in one of four boxes on the quadrant below.  Each quadrant suggests a unique management style to promote success.

Vertical axis is COMMITMENT/CONFIDENCE (Will).

High

^

|

|

Low

Horizontal axis is COMPETENCE (Skill).

Low —> High

1. ENTHUSIASTIC BEGINNER High Commitment, Low Competence	4. SELF-RELIANT ACHIEVER High Commitment, High Competence
2. DISILLUSIONED LEARNER Low competence, Low Commitment	3. CAPABLE, BUT CAUTIOUS High competence, Low commitment

Depending on which quadrant the team member lands in, the management style follows…

1. ENTHUSIASTIC BEGINNER High Commitment, Low Competence SELLING, COACHING, EXPLAINING	4. SELF-RELIANT ACHIEVER High Commitment, High Competence DELEGATING, SUPPORTING
2. DISILLUSIONED LEARNER Low (or some) competence, Low Commitment TELLING, DIRECTING, GUIDING	3. CAPABLE, BUT CAUTIOUS High competence, Low commitment/confidence PARTICIPATING, FACILITATING, COLLABORATING

For the ENTHUSIASTIC BEGINNER, provide high levels of rationale and context, along with clear instructions and frequent feedback.  This team members wants to achieve and is excited to be successful.  With clear expectations and reinforcement, she will quickly develop competence and move to the “Self-Reliant Achiever” category.

For the DISILLUSIONED LEARNER, the right-match strategy is “Telling or Directing.”  Your ideal approach is to provide this team member with clear step-by-step instructions, frequent check-ins to course correct, positive reinforcement and motivation all along the way.  He needs guidance and leadership to make decisions and also clear explanation of the benefits of a successful outcome.

For the CAPABLE, BUT CAUTIOUS team member, the key strategy is to ask open-ended questions in order to build her confidence and inspiration.  Seek to understand why this team member is not enthusiastic about the project - while she is skilled, she may be insecure or disillusioned.  Find out what builds this individuals’ confidence or reconnects her with her personal motivation.

For the SELF-RELIANT ACHIEVER, the right match is complete delegation and support.  The goal with this team member is to provide autonomy.  Give him opportunities to reflect on the strengths and weaknesses of the project and make sure he knows you’re available to support as much as needed.  Above all else, this team member needs your trust and the opportunity to figure it out on his own.

The beauty of this model is that it also makes space for GROWING team members from one quadrant to the next.

What would your team’s impact be if you could move every member one step closer towards “SELF-RELIANT ACHIEVER” over the next year?  What do you need in order to make it happen?