People are terrible at delegating and giving instruction. Not all people, but I do think that all of us could get better at it. I've been doing several online courses and have read several business books that discuss this very important detail of business and every-day life. Lately I've been listening to a book on improving families by Bruce Feiler, The Secrets of Happy Families, Improve Your Mornings, Rethink Family Dinner, Fight Smarter, Go Out and Play, and Much More. The book does not delve into delegating in and of itself, which is probably why it seemed to point out several things that people do poorly in relation to teaching/delegating--and if you think that these subjects are not related, you're severely mistaken. They're practically the same thing. Delegating is just teaching somebody how to do something, and what you expect them to do, and not do, in the process. Anyone needing a thorough retreading of delegation should read 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey. He lays it out in too much detail, if that's possible, and yet we still miss the point.
How to Delegate:
1. Show them how you do it. Because they need to see and because you may be more particular than you think you are. e.g. Do you hang the toilet paper over, or under? Don't get frustrated that they don't do it like you would have done it, if you haven't shown them how you do it.
2. Tell them exactly what needs to be done and how the task relates to the big picture. People need to know that their job is relevant and appreciated, and affects people in very positive ways. In healthcare, the janitor may be the most important person in preventing spread of contagious diseases.
3. Instruct them on what resources they are allowed to use in completing the task. Don't complain if your employee builds a house out of straw when you wanted a house of bricks, if you did not tell them that you wanted a house of bricks.
4. Instruct them on what resources and steps they are NOT allowed to use while completing the task. This may seem redundant as you have already told them what they can use, but these are two very different things. e.g. "Lydia (my three year old daughter) please throw that paper in the garbage." She proceeds to writhe slowly along the floor. "I'm a fish and the floor is the water," she states. (she is allowed full reign on the method she uses to get that trash in the bin--this is where lots of the magic of delegation happens, they may do a better job than you and with more flare--but she is not allowed to take all day if we are rushing out the door. "You only have 10 seconds to get that paper in the garbage, or you will get a time out (see #5)." Lydia writhes much more quickly towards the garbage. Be very clear on what boundaries they have.
5. Be specific on how they will be graded, and follow up with grading their results. Give accountability--both for a job well done (often forgotten) and for what needs work (often overstated). (Key Results Areas (KRA's) in Dave Ramsey speak)
6. Give them the right amount of leash and get out of the way. (obviously you don't have to show them how to clean a toilet...or do you?) Why must we be taught every year that handwashing has the biggest influence on preventing spread of infections? because every year after the handwashing class, employees from food service workers to doctors don't do an adequate job, or don't do it at all! (think you're doing a good job? The next time you're washing consider the most commonly missed areas and see if you miss a spot: the base of one or both thumbs, the base of the "pinky" finger (where you would karate chop), and the finger tips. Not to mention under a ring or watch.) A wise tip--just pretend they are completely new at what they are doing and you have to teach them everything. Let out more leash as they demonstrate competency. Years of experience don't necessarily equate to years of good experience. If they know they are going to be checked on everything, they'll be more likely to ask questions and learn, and more likely to follow through. Be careful not to belittle, berate, or be condescending throughout the process.
The problem is that all this takes time; and if there's one thing you don't have much of while starting a new venture, it's time. The kicker is, if you instruct well in the beginning, you will save much more time and be much more effective in the future (as will your delegatee).
Causes of Delegation Failure:
1. Too little oversight and training - "...but the reason I hired this person is so I wouldn't have to do this anymore" I know, but even if the job title seems to scream that they should know how to do something, they still need training on your system--this also gives you ample opportunity to perfect your systems and processes by observing where people need more instruction and where less is more. You want your system to be so good that high schoolers could effectively do the work--that's why McDonald's is so successful.
2. No buy in on the importance of the task. - I know I'm just going down the list of what things you were supposed to have done. But that's just it--if you don't do the process, the process is useless. If they don't know it's important to someone, and who that someone is, and that the someone is watching and it affects them, why should they do it and/or do it well. If the teenager doling out meatballs onto your Subway sandwich gives you 6 meatballs instead of 5, it becomes very difficult to do inventory and very difficult to make a profit since the whole cost structure and ordering process is based on 5 meatballs. What happens when someone else works that shift? This is often where we've specialized ourselves into mindless work. We have to see the connectedness. How does what we do fit into the big picture?
3. Not knowing exactly what they are allowed to use. - How much time? How many other employees? How much money?
4. Not knowing the boundaries. - How has this project gone wrong in the past? What are the things that must not happen? There was a study done on school age children where they measured how far kids wandered from the middle of the playground when they had fences and did not have fences. It was found that the kids who had fences explored the full area of the playground while the kids who had no fences tended to huddle in the middle of the playground. We can't accept huddling in the middle of the business playground. Most employee problems are problems with our leadership. Few are actually due to employees that shouldn't be there. If there are a lot of those, it's still your fault because you should have done a better job of hiring!
5. No follow through - Accountability needs to be a positive word. People need recognition for what they are accomplishing. Don't believe this? Ask my nephew--he's 4 years old. Anything awesome in his life needs to be shared, and at top volume! Lay the praise on thick, but honestly. We're all really just 4 year olds at heart, no matter the age.
6. Micro-managing - How much leash do you give? Depends on the temperament of the dog! Now that I've offended all your employees, I'll say it again--it depends on the dog. You really have to know your employees. Some will need you to show them six times that the toilet paper goes on over the top and how to put it on there, then you'll have to watch them to it six more times, then check back tomorrow that they did it correctly or create a teachable moment where you finish off the roll and see what happens. Others will say "duh," and get the job done on the first try. But let them prove to you and themselves that they can and will do things properly under low stress situations before they have to do it in a high stress situation. Doctors call this a residency (even though that is high stress all along). I repeat: you need to know your team members individually, or you may as well do it yourself. Let your kid fall off a stool, but not a cliff. As Feiler writes, let your kid mess up with his $6 allowance so he won't mess up with his $60,000/ year salary or his $6 million dollar inheritance. One kid will be too stingy, another too spendthrift. Let them earn more leash, but when they do, let out that leash.
7. No single point of failure - this means that there are checks and balances. If John gets C. Difficile tomorrow because he didn't follow the handwashing advice above, Sally had better know how, when and why to change the toilet paper roll. Otherwise things are going to go very badly for you when you start getting the same symptoms because you didn't follow handwashing procedure either. Everyone makes mistakes sometime. How badly does a mistake affect you? That depends on your back up plan, and whether you change for the better because you made the mistake.
Bottom line: If you have a delegation problem, you have a you problem. What can you do better?
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