One key myth about delegation and leadership is that the people who work for you are an extension of you and should do everything you want the way you want it done. Recognizing and avoiding this myth will help grow your business. The truth is that the people you hire are people just as you are! Rather than doing the job just as you would do it, they should be themselves.
The real key in delegation is to find people who have talents you can unleash. With this truth comes the question of how to communicate and get things done the right way if your employees are to be themselves and do what they do best? There are two levels involved in the answer to this dilemma.
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The first level is people selection. Find the right people who are already on the same page with you and fit into the culture of your company or business. You must clearly identify to prospective employees your values and the mission of your business as you seek to find people who fit with the values and mission naturally. Thus, they can be themselves while appreciating your processes and procedures for basic common sense organization and administrative functions. Once you’ve selected the right person and communicated the certain method of doing a few core things, this person will validate your selection by agreeing he or she would choose to do things exactly the same way.
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Level two of this process is unlocking the potential and strengths of the people you have chosen. To accomplish this goal and proceed through level two, you need to be constantly communicating with your employees about their strengths and weaknesses. Spending too much time or focus on weaknesses is not helpful but demoralizes employees. Most of the time they can’t fix weaknesses since those are part of the identity of the person.
As a personal example My boss could beat me over the head all day long for my lack of attention to details. However, if my boss hires an assistant for me, I will help him make a lot of money. So keep in mind your organization is not going to be more productive by dealing with the weaknesses of your employees other than just being aware so you can deal with the negative downside related to them. Once you’ve embraced the weaknesses as a reality, now spend a lot of time on their strengths where you’ll make money for your business. You have now hired the right people who are on board with your culture and perform the core administrative tasks as you would. You are aware of their weaknesses but not focusing on them. Learn as much as you can about your employees and find mutually beneficial ways to use their strengths. Once you’ve identified a key strength, tell the employee to come up with creative ideas and ways to use that strength for the business.
I hope this has been a help to you.
James Shepherd
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