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#Leadership : #Productivity – These are the 5 Mistakes you Make when you #Delegate … As you Move Up in your Job, you Need to Go from Being Someone who Gets Things Done to Creating other People Who get Things Done. Here are a Few Common Mistakes People make when they Start to Delegate.

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We all know the go-to person in the office who knows how to get stuff done, and maybe it’s you. This person is frequently promoted to leadership because they excel, but that presents a problem, says Scott Eblin, author of The Next Level: What Insiders Know About Executive Success.

Question: Do you Know How to Delegate? 

“Being a go-to person doesn’t help you build teams,” he says. “You need to go from being someone who gets things done to creating other people who get things done. It’s hard to let go. Getting things done is what you became known for and now you have to rebrand yourself. This causes fear and you have to overcome it to delegate effectively.”

Eblin says leaders often make five common mistakes when assigning work to others:

1. NOT UNDERSTANDING THE IMPORTANCE OF THE TASK

Before you can delegate a task, you have to be clear on it. Too often leaders give an employee something to do without having a deep understanding of the task and its impact.

“Why does it matter to you and why does it matter to the person you’re delegating to?” Eblin asks. “What does it mean to the company or the customer? You have to be super clear on the task and the stakeholders.”

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What Skill Sets do You have to be ‘Sharpened’ ?

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2. MAKING AN INCOMPLETE REQUEST

When you delegate, make sure you are providing enough information. Eblin suggests writing down the steps before meeting with your employee to prepare for your initial delegation session.

“Develop a plan for follow-through,” he says. “Too often leaders don’t do a lot of prep. They’ll say, ‘Take the lead on this and let me know when you’re done,’ and not much more than that.”

Instead, you should provide explicit instructions and insights. “Be crystal clear,” says Eblin. “Say, ‘Here’s the task. Here is the timeline. When it’s completed it will look like this. This is who needs to be involved, and this is who needs to be informed.’”

Also, tell the person how much you want to be in the loop, what resources are available, and what they can and cannot do without asking. You might also provide some potential pitfalls they could run up against.

3. FORGETTING TO SET EXPECTATIONS ON ACHIEVEMENT

When you delegate a task, be sure to define what success looks like.

“How will the employee know when they reach 100%?” Eblin asks. “When will they be done? What does achievement look like? And who has to be happy with what’s achieved?”

4. MISSING REGULAR CHECK-INS

Too often leaders fail at delegating because they think of it as a “set it and forget it” exercise, says Eblin.

“Even if you’ve been clear in delegating and have a lot of confidence and trust, most of the time it requires some level of checking in,” he says. “Get clear on how often you will check in as well as what factors might trigger a check-in, a red flag, or action.”

It’s a good idea to set a regular check-in timeline, such as weekly or biweekly, Eblin suggests.

5. OVERLOOKING KNOWLEDGE AND KUDOS

Throughout the project, leaders should be mindful of the process. “There should be debrief lessons from the assignment,” says Eblin. “Are there things we learned while we were completing it? What can it tell us about the future on what we should do again, and what we would do differently based on what we’ve learned?”

And don’t forget to acknowledge the employee’s contribution. “Kudos is about recognition,” says Elbin. “Part of that is up front. It’s ‘Here’s what in it for you. This is what’s the upside for you if it goes well.’ And part is acknowledging what’s been accomplished at the end.”

Some people naturally have more project management skills, but delegating can be learned, says Eblin. “Go through these steps before you sit down with someone else and ask then to take the lead on a task,” he says. “Adopting a discipline around the prep and having a framework or checklist will get you off to a good start and help the other person bring it home.”

FastCompany.com | 11.29.18 |  SECRETS OF THE MOST PRODUCTIVE PEOPLE

#CareerAdvice : 5 Steps to Become a #Manager …What are Some Other Steps #Professionals can Take toward Becoming a #Manager ? Share your Thoughts!

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Many people reach a point in their careers when they decide they’d like more responsibility. Becoming a manager can be an excellent way for professionals to advance their career development and even earn more money.

Managers are responsible for coordinating and overseeing many company projects and everyday tasks. That makes their position a unique one within the company – one that holds particular importance for maintaining business success. But becoming a manager isn’t always easy, you’ll often find yourself competing against other qualified candidates and co-workers to snag the position.

Here are five steps to take toward becoming a manager in your company:

1. Let your aspirations be known.

If you aspire to become a manager, don’t stay quiet about it! While you don’t have to border on obnoxiousness, it’s still important to let the right people know you’re thinking about taking the next step so they can help you get where you want to be. Let your current manager or boss know you aspire for more, and work with them to develop the skills you need to eventually make the transition.

10 Interview Questions to Answer If You Want to Be an HR Manager

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What Skill Sets do You have to be ‘Sharpened’ ?

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2. Become a mentor.

Ask your manager or boss if opportunities exist for you to become a mentor, or join a professional organization in your industry that will set you up with a mentee. This can be an excellent way to show you have the expertise to work closely with others and develop solid interpersonal relations – a must in any managerial position. Or, consider taking on a mentor yourself – someone who has more experience than you can help you to prepare for more responsibilities.

3. Strengthen your skills.

As a manager, you’ll experience less leisure time, more authority, more leading, and tons of other new requirements. For this reason, it’s important to strengthen your skills to ensure you’re prepared to step up to the plate. Actively assess the skills you already have, and talk to those already in managerial positions to determine what skills you need to acquire. Do your research, stay up to date on industry trends, and seize any opportunity to strengthen your abilities.

7 Small Gestures Managers Can Make That Will Go a Long Way

4. Show your worth.

It’s important to put your ambition into action. If you feel as though you need to show your boss how valuable you are before you can have a chance at landing a higher position, consider setting up a meeting and prepare a presentation that highlights your accomplishments and commitments to the company thus far. Provide concrete numbers to describe your accomplishments (“increased client leads by 40 percent,” or “managed accounts of advertisers contributing to a total budget of $200,000”) to make your arguments irrefutable.

5. Ask for feedback.

Ask your higher-ups and coworkers to assess your performance so far. Do you do a good job of responding to conflict? Do you react well to stressful situations? Are you able to lead a group without trying to take too much control–or too little? Glean feedback from your coworkers or managers to determine where your strengths are and where you need to improve. Not only will this show you’re open to feedback and continual improvement, but it will show you value the opinion of individual group members, something that any manager should commit to.

3 Ways Managers Can Empower Team Members With Mental Health Struggles

Becoming a manager can be an excellent way to advance your career and prepare you for further professional opportunities. As 2012 comes to a close, make a commitment to taking these steps next year to increase your chances of landing a higher role in your company. Good luck!

What are some other steps professionals can take toward becoming a manager? Share your thoughts below!

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#CareerAdvice : #SuccessfulLeaders -7 Warning Signs that Your #Career is Stalling…What Got you Here won’t Get you There. After you’ve Achieved #Success , it’s Common to Stagnate. Look Out for These Signs & Turn Things Around.

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It’s not unusual to see a leader turn a company around and bring it to success, only to fail at the next challenge. Some call it the sophomore slump, but it’s really a case of, “What got you here won’t get you there,” says John Hillen, coauthor of What Happens Now? Reinvent Yourself as a Leader Before Your Business Outruns You.

“Leaders are often victims of their own success,” says Hillen. “They wanted the change; they put the business plan in place. Then they themselves don’t make parallel plans to change with the organization. That’s why leaders often stall on the other side.”

What it takes to become a successful leader is not what you need to remain a leader. Playing at the higher level requires different skills, capabilities, mind-sets, behaviors, and attitudes. “Most leaders get it intellectually,” says Hillen, executive in residence and professor of practice in the School of Business at George Mason University. “Unfortunately, what they often do is focus energy on tinkering with the organization instead of reinventing themselves.”

Only a small percentage of organizations make deliberate plans to grow their executives alongside their business. As a result, leaders need to take it upon themselves to adapt to the new playing field, or they’re at risk of hitting one of seven career stalls, says Hillen.

1. YOU HAVEN’T RE-ESTABLISHED YOUR PURPOSE

Leaders often fail to establish new purpose and direction once they succeed. “When things change and new people are coming on board, purpose and direction must be modified,” says Hillen. “Leaders often struggle to tell a coherent narrative, and people start making decisions at odds with culture or value.”

A warning sign that you’re hitting the purpose stall is when you think you need to hire an outsider to get to the next level. Break through by holding a story-creation session with people from all levels of the organization, suggests Hillen.

“Ask, ‘What are we about here?’” he says. “Engage teams to rearticulate values and purpose that will be easy to communicate to the ranks and out to multiple stakeholders.”

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What Skill Sets do You have to be ‘Sharpened’ ?

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2. YOUR TEAM ISN’T WORKING TOGETHER ON GOALS

After a success, team members can start acting like freelancers, concerned with their own departments and not agreeing on priorities or strategies, says Hillen.

“The single most critical success factor for high-performing teams is having a shared understanding of why the team exists, what it is trying to accomplish, and how it will work together,” he says.

Work through this career stall by holding frequent meetings or off-sites to ensure team alignment, suggests Hillen. “Create team ‘rules of engagement’ and require team members to hold each other (and you) accountable to them,” he says. “Be explicit about the culture that ties the team together.”

3. YOU AREN’T TALKING TO THE RIGHT PEOPLE

Working at a new level can cause leaders to not make good use of their time. If you feel frustrated that people aren’t following your orders, or if you’re too busy to talk to stakeholders, you’re career’s in danger.

Push through by creating a stakeholder management plan, Hillen suggests. “Who will you put on your calendar regularly?” he asks. “What kinds of conversations should you be having with them?” Concentrate on developing a strategic network, allocating time for people who control your future.

4. YOU CAN’T ARTICULATE YOUR VISION AND MOTIVATE PEOPLE

If you can’t seem to energize employees to own the strategy or spring into action to tackle a new initiative, you’re at risk of another career stall. Instead of blaming others for their inability to “get” it, reassess your communication skills and think of yourself as the “chief explaining officer,” says Hillen.

“Whenever possible, make communication two-way; achieve true communication, not mere transmission,” he says. Communicate more than you believe is necessary to ensure sufficient understanding, and change your style of communication to reach different people.

5. YOUR AUTHORITY IS WANING

Once you’ve achieved success, you need to keep performing at a high level to maintain your team’s respect. If you give people direction but they don’t follow through, or you start getting passed over for promotion, you may have hit a career stall.

“Shift your actions and behaviors to come across to followers in a more authentically and emotionally,” he says. “Empathy works, and builds character.”

Accept a position on the board of a nonprofit, for example, take a community leadership role, or be more involved in your industry, Hillen suggests.

6. YOU FEEL EXHAUSTED AND OVERWHELMED

Once you’re operating at a new level, it can be easy to lose sight of your focus. The danger signs of a career stall here are feeling exhausted and overwhelmed, and less energetic and passionate about what you’re doing and its impact, says Hillen.

Decide which tasks to do, which to delegate, and which to drop. “Allocate your time as if you’re going to ‘make history,’” he says. “Enforce, with the help of an accountability partner, rational percentages of time on your calendar to the leadership work that matters most.”

7. YOU’VE ABANDONED LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT

A successful leader’s job is to be a leader of leaders, says Hillen. If you’re unsure of your current leadership team and are starting to no longer trust their capabilities, you could be about to hit a career stall.

“Take command of shaping your organization’s leadership-development programs and play a meaningful role in leading them,” he says. “Commit to becoming a coach as well as a boss, and dedicate discrete time for both.”

While every stall is different, every leader will stall at some point, says Hillen. “They might not hit all of them and not all at once,” he says. “When you’re in a meeting where you are the decision maker, but everybody else has more information at hand, you’re at risk. It should be an epiphany that it’s you and your behavior that needs to be changed.”

 

 

FastCompany.com | July 9, 2018 | CAREER EVOLUTION