First Level Leadership Blog

The next time you go away from work, try to get an insight into the amount of work accomplished in your absence.

An important test of respected leader is to gauge if there has been progress in the work during absence.

A leader who gets things done through fear has virtually no control when he is absent from the scene. Such a leader is never respected-only feared. With fear comes hate, since it is human to hate those you fear.

Remember: No body works willingly for someone he fears. When a subordinate respects his leader, he plans and discusses problems with him. He does not look for ways to betray or defeat him in his efforts.

People respect those who treat them as equals, and who are fair and true in their actions.

The last thing you should allow your subordinates to do is to delegate their problems to you. If you do, they will be in your office every 15 minutes saying, “I can’t figure out how to do this. Can you do this for me?”

Do you make your subordinate’s action points as your action points?

Ineffective managers make their subordinates’ problems their problems. Such managers eventually realize that they are being overloaded while their subordinates fail to develop themselves.

Helping subordinates is a part of any manager’s job

An effective manager redirects the subordinates to appropriate resources in order to help them to solve their own problems.

Now examine your behavior. Do you delegate upward, transferring your problems onto your boss’s back?

Run an “I am not here” test: Identify key aspects of your job – and decide who could handle those responsibilities in your absence. Your success depends on how much you can rely on your employees to solve problems and produce results.

Andrew Carnegie said,

“The secret of success is not doing your own work but in recognizing the right man to do it.”

What happens when your delegate?

By delegating, you improve your efficiency. Real delegation involves giving someone the responsibility and authority to do something that is normally a part of your job.

Rookie managers sometimes fall into the trap of taking an assignment back unknowingly. They might say, “Let me explain you,” and they end up doing the whole project.

A three step formula for effective delegation:

1. Select tasks that employees can control and implement on their own. If you micro manage, delegating does more harm than good.
2. Confirm that employees understand the purpose and the performance measures you will use to judge success. In other words, set clear objectives.
3. Run an “I am not here” test. By anticipating what you expect from your employees in your absence, you can delegate parts of your managerial duties to them so that they are ready to step in when the need arises.

Remember: Sometimes, good managers gain authority by giving it away.

Mac is like a frisky puppy on a sunny day. He works with great enthusiasm, but makes frequent mistakes. Several customers have launched complaints against him.

Tony is a management graduate with an in-depth knowledge of business processes. However, he is unwilling to delegate tasks because he trusts no one.

Lisa often puts herself in awkward situations by using inappropriate humor with her customers. She comes across as crass and rude. Recently she showed up two hours late for a management development program.
Peter is turning into a curmudgeon. At one time, he was the first to embark upon new initiatives and ideas. Now, however, he does not display much enthusiasm for such things. Of late, he has attended several executive trainings. Sadly, he has shared with you his feeling that his contributions are of no significance in the department’s operations.
What do you think? Do you think it is a case of willingness or ability with these characters?

If your manager has not clearly stated your goals, ask for a meeting to reach agreement on your goals. Make your goals specific and measurable, and get it all in writing.

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Periodically review your existing commitments to determine whether they continue to provide meaning and satisfaction. Avoid or reduce commitments that are unsatisfactory or fail to produce value.

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