Managing: You're Still In It Together

One of the joys experienced by a new manager is having an array of people to call on to "get it done."

One of the challenges experienced by a new manager is having an array of people to call on to "get it done."

I can't think of a role that's more challenging than managing, at any level. One of the traps, though, is a mistaken sense of what delegation is all about.

What Successful Managers Do

1.Help people perform.

That means you have to spend time focusing on the people who do the task, not just the task.

Who needs help? How much? How much is too much? How often do you need to follow up to see how things are going? When you follow up, what do you really need to do to be helpful? (It may be to get out of the way, explain how to do something in detail, or something in between).

2. Invest in people, not use them.

We agonize over how to invest our earnings so that we reap personal financial growth.

When we delegate are we asking, "How can I invest in this person during this task in order to benefit all of us over the long run?"

Or is the question "What can this person do for me?"

Each question leads to very different outcomes. One is personal and organizational growth. The other is a sense of using and being used.

3. Be alongside, in front of, or close behind--but never absent.

No one--no one--is successful alone. However, it's really easy and unbelievably common to fail by thinking we can do it alone.

So the best managers I know live out a model that clearly shares responsibility. They provide direction and support; their people ask questions easily as a result of the "we're in this together" atmosphere.

What's up in your management/delegating life?

Comments

[Drew Carls]

Good post, Steve.

I still see many managers call the "I'm hands-off" card and it just doesn't work. Teams want engagement, they want managers to help them develop professionally and they want managers present/there for support. Be in trenches together.

[Francie]

Great points, Steve!
Among my historical client experiences was a senior executive whose outcomes
were absolutely superb, but whose methods of achievement included intimidation, hostility, and the caustic belittling of others. The CEO wanted desperately to retain the work product produced by this individual and tried to cajole others into tolerating the behavior. As a result, other highly valued employees left, morale remained low, and the CEO lost the regard of employees for not having dealt with the situation.
- Francie Dalton
www.daltonalliances.com

[Wally Bock]

Congratulations! This post was selected as one of the five best independent business blog posts of the week in my Three Star Leadership Midweek Review of the Business Blogs.

http://blog.threestarleadership.com/2010/05/26/52610-midweek-look-at-the-independent-business-blogs.aspx

Wally Bock

[Steve Roesler]

Drew

That sounds like the voice of experience.

What I wonder is: With all of the research data, 360 feedback, and such, why aren't we seeing a lot more interaction?

Maybe the "why not?" would make a good research paper topic.

Thanks for weighing in.

[Steve Roesler]

Francie

We have a shared experience with that situation. Some time back I wrote about it here, and we would apparently only have to change the names.

It sounds as if our CEOs paid a lot more attention to the "what" and figured the "how" didn't much matter if others would "just tolerate it."

Alas, it is easy to forget that lots of people can actually do a "what": it's the "how" that makes them unique and a good fit for an organization.

[Fragonzal]

I am a manager at a large health insurance company and these are really great tips to be an effective manager. Great article.

- Fragonzal

[Steve Roesler]

Fragonzal, pleased to know this was helpful.