The Art of Delegating

Teddy Roosevelt once said that “the best executive is the one who has sense enough to pick good people to do what he wants done, and self-restraint enough to keep from meddling with them while they do it.”

So there are two essential elements to effective delegating.

• The first is finding and hiring the right people who fit your company culture and fit their seats perfectly – having the passion and capacity to do what you need done well (this presumes you have clarified your expectations).
• The second is letting go – get out of their way and let them do what you’ve hired them to do.

If you don’t do both of these things well you’ll never build an effective team, one capable of taking your organization where you want it to go.

If you find yourself not enjoying time off or a family vacation because you’re worrying about your business, you have to question whether you’ve picked the right people and why you’re not comfortable letting go. By letting go, I’m not suggesting that you abdicate your leadership role. I’m encouraging you instead to create a framework for your direct reports to stay connected and engaged.

To keep your people connected, establish a Meeting Pulse ^TM – meet weekly and quarterly and follow a specific agenda that identifies and resolves any issues (find Meeting Pulse under Download Tools). To keep your people engaged, establish Rocks (quarterly priorities) for your company or department and for them. And, ask each person to establish a process for achieving their Rocks.

With the right people in the right seats connected and engaged, you’re ready to let go. By letting go, you’re empowering your people to step up, to take responsibility and hold each other accountable to do what they say they will do. Let go while staying connected and engaged.

Now, go enjoy some time off. Your team will keep things running smoothly while you’re gone and you’ll have fewer issues to deal with upon your return.