Effective leaders understand the diplomatic art of delegation. Enlisting the strategy of power distribution, they share tasks that distribute the knowledge, skills, and abilities across their team. Enlisting their team’s strengths, they allow their team members to stretch and grow in their roles, setting the entire team up for success.
Effective leaders are satisfied and healthy both inside and outside the workplace. For example, they can step away from their work and use their vacation time to rejuvenate. Because they directed their teams well up to this point, the organization continues to operate effectively in their absence. What is your Leadership Quotient? Ask yourself these 6 questions:
1. Do you delegate?
When leaders employ delegation, employees are allowed participation in the duties, responsibilities and activities of their team. This promotes cross-training of positions, assists the supervisor, and deepens the dimension of understanding roles within the institution. Staff learn what the team values and represents within the organization after walking in other shoes.
2. Do you promote engagement?
Employees want to keep busy, allowing their time at work to pass quickly and enjoyably. They want to experience engagement in their work activities. They will learn and grow in their roles by actively participating on their team instead of merely seeing or hearing about it. By learning and experiencing pieces of other positions, they become competent in covering for their teammates when it’s their turn for vacation or there is a need to use sick leave. Staff then become essential in the smooth-running of the team and gain appreciation when they learn each other’s jobs.
3. Do you suggest transparency?
Sharing knowledge openly and creatively improves efficiency. When you skip the he said/she said and focus on what went right, team members can learn how they fit into the big picture and use data smartly. Keeping staff aware and active within the team can increase safety and security as they become more aware of what the workplace should look like and what to do if something seems off. The ability to see the larger picture gives insight into staffing effectiveness as well.
4. Do you model setting staff up for success?
Managers can be the busiest people in an organization and feel caught between requests coming from the front line as well as senior leadership. They can fill in for absent staff one minute, and get asked to present at a meeting the next. After you create a practice of regular delegation, managers can represent their team in a meeting instead of stamping out the fires at the front line that their adequately trained and empowered staff can perform as well.
5. Do you promote your organization as a great place to work?
After your team has learned a number of the team’s duties and perform them well, that leads to the overall success of the organization. The manager is then rewarded by looking like a genuine leader and they are credited for what happens on their watch. When staff have variety in their work, they are happier and more likely to be positive, pleasant, and healthy as they have gained empathy and understanding of other roles which can only enhance their own – everywhere. Everyone wants to work with the best of the best every day.
6. Do you value succession planning?
Everyone benefits from succession planning. Over time, delegation provides opportunities for staff coaching. Any opening created as folks move up the ladder, or by retirements, can be filled internally. The empowering effects of delegation make recruiting easier, and free up time to work on the organization’s goals. One of the direct effects of retained staff is time and energy can be spent growing resources rather than recruiting.
When managers can successfully delegate duties within their team, the entire organization benefits. The art of leadership rewards managers so they don’t have to do it all. Synergy makes the group stronger and more meaningful to the individuals comprising the team, including the manager. Leaders want to work with other leaders, not micromanagers who hoard duties because their staff isn’t familiar following their direction. Engaged staff is retained staff – it’s a win-win.
Tary Paris is part of the GovLoop Featured Blogger program, where we feature blog posts by government voices from all across the country (and world!). To see more Featured Blogger posts, click here.
Love these checks!! This forced me to think about your impact as a leader over the long term. Most people only think about the current task at hand but its important to consider what is happening not even tomorrow but even next year!!