Thursday, September 15, 2005

How do you delegate well?

I'm crap a delegating. As a leader and manager this is a problem.

The problem starts with my perfectionist streak. And to be honest, the fact that I like things done my way. The other is that I tend to play very senior roles and don't have time to help with the nitty gritty.

I've tried various means of addressing this. The most successful is when I am supported by experienced team members. I'm at my worst when I have a junior team. I am fairly good at coaching, but it takes time and means you have to allow failure and help with recovery. Management consulting doesn't have much time for that. It means you have to get to the point of failure very quickly so as not to derail delivery. That means regular deliverables with very quick and honest feedback.

But frankly, I think I am too soft. Friends at my level have shaken their heads as I shoulder the team's accountabiltiy for delivery. And that is the big issue. Getting team ownership of the problems.

Now the current problem has been getting an Excel based model owned by the young inexperienced modelling team. I gave up. I'll sort it out next time...

3 comments:

ChittyChittyBangBang! said...

I am my best when I delegate.
Outline the task and what is required and then merely say... So-and-so, I want you to do it.
Easy Peasy!

It is the question said...

So you're not good at doing things yourself then?

HA HA! :P

ChittyChittyBangBang! said...

Silly man. Of course I can do things for myself, it is just so much better when you can get others to do it for you.
Gives me all that free time to find fault and critisize.