Empowering others..

I started this post with the title Delegating, initially intent on talking about creating time, so that you can focus on the broader needs of the business. Once I started writing however, I started to think about an even more important outcome of delegating.

Empowering others... One of the most important things we do as leaders.

Leadership skills develop over time. You will find your own style and strengths as your confidence and capability develops. Don’t wait though, as there are areas you can work on early, refining throughout your career journey. Empowering others is one of them.

It can also be one of the hardest. We all have a hard-wired behaviour style. Under pressure we typically revert to our natural behaviour. If you are like me, who runs at a reasonably quick pace and just likes to the solve the problem, you will need to work at it. Make sure you recognise your own natural behaviour style.

In my post “so why can’t I just solve this on my own?”(19/5/20), I talked to the topic of collaboration, influencing and better outcomes. There are similar elements to the topic of empowerment, so worth also taking a step back to this previous post, to round out the conversation.

Yes, you can solve things yourself faster when doing it yourself and yes, it will be exactly as you like it to look. However think about the opportunity lost.

Your people have missed the chance to learn and develop. They have missed an opportunity to be part of something interesting and acknowledged for delivering on something important.

What is your own opportunity missed? Have you had your head in the detail and missed the broader strategic thinking needed for the business? Have you jammed yet another activity into your day, meaning a long day or weekend? You might be faster at solving the problem at hand, however if do this for everything, your workload and stress levels will continue to build. We all know the business and personal flow on impact from this.

Then there is the business outcome. Without diverse thinking, is the solution as good as it could have been?

Back to, "it's just easier and quicker if I do it". Yes, of course it is however this is short term view. As a leader in your business, you must invest the extra time in empowering others. You will be uncomfortable and it will be clunky at the start, however once you see the many benefits, you will never look back.

To ensure the best experience for everyone involved for those first few times and until you have developed your own style, some suggestions below.

• Take the time to explain exactly what is needed from the activity. Be clear about the why and what. What is it for, why is it needed, what is expected in regards to presentation, involvement of others and very importantly, timing. Make sure you offer an open door for any questions they have along the way.
  

• If this is the first time you are doing this or it is a stretch piece of work for the team, have check in points for you to catch up on progress. It will help keep things on track and you can guide the team as needed. It will also avoid you worrying about what or when something might land on your desk. It does not have to be exactly as you would do it yourself – don’t expect it to be and allow individual flair to come through. It might be even better than what you could have done!
  

• If the work is to develop a solution to something, as much as you want to, don’t give the answer. Allow free thinking and see what the individual/team can come up with. Guide them if they need help.
  

• Trust them. Don’t check up every 5 minutes to see how they are going. If you must check in, just ask if anything is needed from you – don’t make it about you wanting an update.
  

• If they deliver something that is way off target? Guide them back and keep going – think about what else is needed. Were you actually clear enough in your outline and setting expectation?
  

• Provide the opportunity to present where possible, in particular if in front of a more senior group.
  

• Call out the work and involve them again. Capability and confidence will continue to build.
  

Empowering may not be a specific piece of work, it may be you ask someone to represent you at a meeting or to lead a meeting. If you don’t have a direct team, speak with your peers to understand who would benefit from working on something a little different.

Whatever it is, empowering others, is one of the most important things you do.

The next time you have something in front of you, make your first thought, “is this an opportunity for someone else to learn, develop and stretch themselves?”

Stick a piece of paper, with these words, on your computer/phone to remind you to do it as often as you can, until it becomes your own new behaviour.

Until next time

Lisa