3 Delegating Mistakes You May Be Making That Are Sabotaging Your Team’s Success
Earlier this year, I made some classic delegating mistakes.
Things I *knew* better than to do, but still did against my better judgment. (Can you relate?)
THE BACKSTORY
I needed a temporary contractor to support me with social media content, as the person who does it normally was going to be on maternity leave. I was going to post for the opportunity and do my usual recruitment process, when I happened to connect with a past team member who helped me with similar tasks years ago.
I gave into the temptation to take a shortcut. We jumped back into working together without following the steps I normally take (nor only to recruit, but also to onboard properly).
This led to a series of mistakes that ultimately resulted in having to end the working relationship after about 6 weeks.
(Click here to listen to the whole back story & my lessons learned.)
When we have issues with our teams, I believe we have to look in the mirror first and ask ourselves what part WE are playing in the situation and what we could do differently. When I stepped back in this case, looked at what had happened, and considered where the disconnect was, I quickly saw a few key mistakes I had made (which you may be making too).
MISTAKE #1: NOT SETTING CLEAR EXPECTATIONS
It would be quite nice if our team members just read our minds and knew exactly what we wanted, right?
When you're bringing a team member into your business, you have to make sure that you explicitly state your expectations for the way that you work. Make sure you answer questions like:
Be clear when it comes to your expectations around tasks and projects. Make sure you answer questions like:
Which also brings me to the next mistake…
MISTAKE #2: MAKING ASSUMPTIONS & NOT COMMUNICATING OPENLY
Assumptions.
We all make them.
And they very rarely lead to a good thing.
If we don’t communicate openly with our team members, we’re both more likely to make assumptions about the tasks at hand and expectations.
From years of managing virtual teams, I’ve seen some common things that we tend to assume our team members will do, such as:
To avoid either of you making assumptions, we want to keep communication channels open. Make sure you connect with your team and ask questions on a regular basis to invite these open conversations. Ask them how things are going. Ask them if they have any questions. Ask them if they have general feedback they want to share with you on your delegating and management style.
You’ll be surprised at the conversations that come out of doing this.
MISTAKE #3: NOT TAKING OWNERSHIP WHEN THINGS GO WRONG
As a leader, you have to look at the part you play in all your team’s successes and the mistakes or challenges.
If team members aren’t meeting your expectations, ask yourself “Am I being clear on expectations? Am I doing everything I can to make sure they’re set up for success? How can I make it easy for them to do their job?”
If you’ve hired someone new and are frustrated with the learning curve you’re both facing, ask yourself “Is it reasonable for me to expect this person to perform this task to my standards after this amount of time?”
If they’re not taking initiative the way you’d like them to, ask yourself “Have I given them permission to take initiative? Have I shared a vision with them and explained the goal we want to achieve and that getting there can take different forms?”
If deadlines aren’t being met, ask yourself “Have I set clear deadlines? Have I set parameters around how to prioritize tasks? Have I talked to the team when tasks are completed slower than I expect, in order to identify any roadblocks?”
Self awareness and reflection play a key role in your leadership development and in the success of your team. We’re always evolving and improving, and if we approach managing our teams with an open mind, we can utilize the opportunity as a way to further grow our leadership.
What challenges are you facing right now with your team member(s)? What may be the underlying cause of those challenges? How can you adjust within your own leadership to create a successful environment?
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