The Question – How do you delegate an important project so that you don’t get involved in the detail and micro- manage people, but still make sure you are on top of things and don’t get any nasty surprises?

The Answer - This is a very common issue for leaders, and it is particularly troublesome for managers who are only comfortable when they know a lot of detail and have themselves closely involved in projects. These are often the same managers who have risen in their organization because they manage detail well and deliver high quality results that their bosses appreciate. The problem is that you can’t stay in all of the detail as you rise to higher levels, or you will be micromanaging others and overloading yourself terribly. At some point, your scope of responsibility will become so big that you can’t progress and maintain any kind of a personal life if you can’t let go, step back, and trust others.

So here are some approaches to consider. Think about your team and your situation, and begin experimenting. See if you can adapt an approach that works for you.

• Before you delegate, prepare yourself to let go and hand over as much control as possible without losing the ability to be certain that the result will be a good one.
• Think it through and be sure you can see the things that really matter to you in terms of 1) outcome, 2) steps to be taken, 3) time requirements and 4) reporting along the way.
• Specifically ask yourself “what will I have to know at each stage to be sure we don’t have a major problem?” An important issue is the experience level of those who will do the work.
• Then comes the tricky part. Don’t tell your delegates what to do. Instead, brief them on the importance of the project and the critical things they will need to attend to for a great result. Then discuss what an ideal outcome would include and how they will achieve it. Share your views, but also listen hard to theirs. The more they feel respected, the more inspired they will be to support you.
• Also negotiate, the frequency and detail required in reporting. Let them know why you need the information. In all of the negotiation try to engage their intelligence for the best possible project, but don’t cave on things that you feel are not negotiable.
• Finally, have them write up what they are promising to do, so you are both clear on the commitments and accountability. Then give them space to work, but make sure they report and make progress as agreed. 

 

 

 

The Question on Coaching:  Aren’t leadership coaches just the people we used to call consultants and trainers?

 

The Answer:  It is important to make a distinction between “true professional coaches” and those who have just decided to jump into the growing field of coaching without the preparation needed to give clients a strong coaching experience. The true professional coach will have devoted months or years to learning the skills of modern coaching through training and professional development programs.

   

It is not simply a renaming of old methods and techniques. While well trained coaches may use consulting, advising and training as tools in their kit, their primary tools are skills that make coaching distinct from other approaches. Consultants, trainers and advisors are valuable because they know more than their clients in specific areas of expertise. Coaches are specialists in processes that help people clarify their goals and accelerate towards those goals. Coaches become partners with their clients, and challenge their clients with techniques that promote very time efficient on the job learning and growth. The client doesn’t sit back and absorb a coach’s teachings and advice. They use their own experience, creativity and judgment to find their own version of success with the coach as a partner.  

 

The problem for people hiring coaches in that all kinds of people now call themselves coaches without any specialized preparation for the role. Many have no understanding of the techniques that make coaching unique and powerful. They simply apply their old training, consulting, counseling or advising skills under the coaching banner. That’s unfortunate for their clients who may not know what they are missing.

The Question on Presentations: What do you really want to achieve when you make a business presentation? When you speak before any group, what tells you that you have “hit a home run”?

 

The Answer: Being a strong communicator is a huge asset in establishing a person as a leader in his or her profession or business. However, we know as audience members that most professionals and executives are pretty mediocre when it comes to public speaking. I knew this back in 1995 when I started training and coaching people in this area, and back then I discovered something important. Most people, and even many books on public speaking, miss the fundamental purpose of speaking to groups of employees, clients or members of the public.

 

That purpose is to build a relationship with each person in the room. Yes, you do need to convey facts and concepts and ideas, but if that was the only purpose for the communication, you could write a document or put your slide presentation on-line with a professional voice reading a script in the background. You wouldn’t need to be there! But when you are there people get to connect with you as a person. They discover what you care about. They make judgments about whether they find you credible and trustworthy. They can experience you bringing your topic alive with stories about how it matters in their world.

 

So really think about what matters to your audience. And don’t get trapped in using an endless set of slides that make you a talking fact machine. Identify parts of your next presentation where you want to get people excited, or motivated, or supportive, and turn the projector off. Learn to actually talk with people using the skills you use in your living room when you enjoy conversation with friends and guests. When an audience gets excited about your message, leans forward in interest and connects with you, that’s a home run.