What lessons can you share with us about strategies when trying to turn your ideas into a reality?

It was a lively discussion. What I distilled were these common elements-  The 5 P’s of Success – with quotes that highlight the essence of their wisdom.

 1. PURPOSE

“The more solidified intent one has, the more realistic the idea becomes. I would say this is my biggest lesson. You have to be obsessed about the intent. You have to be enthusiastic about the intent behind your goal and ideas.”

“First you must identify what it is that you really wish to accomplish and it should have meaning for you. Ideas are a dime a dozen but if you are not passionately invested in your big idea nothing will ever happen. Most people are lazy or just give lip service to their ideas.”

 2. PLAN

“Don’t over think it. Do your research, make a simple plan and just go with it. Your plan will change as you work your plan and see how the market reacts to your idea. What I often see is analysis paralysis in which nothing really happens.”

“The beginning of a plan for a film is often just telling a story in your head or to someone else. Write it down as a script. Then, storyboard it. Make a trailer, do a budget, etc. It’s the same for anything else. Have a plan with specific steps and work that plan…without it you will get lost in a maze of setbacks, tangents, and confusion.”

 3. PEOPLE

“You can’t do things alone, and you will never accomplish things alone. Look at the iPhone for example. It wasn’t made my Steve Jobs. It was the creativity of several people. Hire the right people – quality over quantity – they will make your business prosper.”

“Find people who are interested in helping you along the way. They have advice – they have experience – they will help you if you ask.. And give help when you can to others who are also looking for a way to reach their dreams.”

 4. PROCEED  

“Take Action Now!! So many people constantly think about what they want to do and have good ideas but if you don’t set them in motion they never become a reality. Whatever ideas you have, test them out and if they fail, they fail, but you have to take action!”

“Make it happen. Ideas come and go. Execution and follow through will make them a reality. Even small steps will open the way for larger gain and more clarity, direction and how-to. What could you do today, right now, that would lead you closer to what you want to create?”

5. PERSISTENCE

“If you want your idea to happen, you need to stick with it. Doesn’t mean if things don’t go the way you expect at first, you’ll abandon them. Be patient. Usually it will take you more time building a castle than an ordinary building. So persist. Don’t easily give up.”

“Believe in it! Belief is even more important than strategy. Strategy is a set of tools and behaviors, belief is what motivates you to find the right strategy and put it into practice. Belief isn’t the same as enthusiasm though. It’s easy to be enthusiastic about a new idea but will you still feel the same in a year’s time

Smart Moves Tip:

Keep at it. It’s as simple as that. Learn what works and what doesn’t, but more importantly learn to adapt. Recognize that you aren’t going to always get it right, but have enough determination to stay the course in the midst of change, challenge and at times chaos.

Years ago I saw Patch Adams speak at a conference and he was asked a similar question at the end of an amazing presentation. His answer: “Every day do at least one thing towards your dream. Maybe it’s a phone call, an email, read a book – whatever it is that takes you one step closer to your dream.”

What is the one thing you’re going to do today towards your dream? I’d like to hear from you.

Additional Resources For YOU!
Who Control Your Destiny?
Don’t Worry! Failure Is Not Fatal!
Is Your Energy Tank on Full or Empty?

However, many times in our efforts to recognize and reward successes, we may overlook “behind the scene” contributions which were necessary to achieve that success.

Consider this:
As Joe was watching Diane receive her achievement award from the team leader, he was feeling very uncomfortable. Diane’s objective was to decrease the amount of time required for processing between billing cycles. She had coordinated the efforts of many people and had exceeded the expectations of the team. Joe agreed that Diane deserved to be recognized for her outstanding leadership ability.

Related: Rock for Employee Recognition

At the same time, however, Joe was aware that Diane’s objective could not have been met without his significant contribution to the work effort. He had spent the last three months pulling double duty, doing his work as well as covering Diane’s regular assignments. It would have been nice for someone to at least say “Thank You “for his additional effort.

 Have you ever been where Joe is standing?
How did it feel? No matter how strongly we identify with the team or how proud we is to be a member of the team, we still need to be recognized as an individual.

Individual recognition in a team environment also helps build a sense of involvement, ownership, and commitment. This encourages team members to help each other whenever possible. And this type of commitment will make your business more successful.

Take a look at your current procedures for rewards and recognition. Use the following questions to help you improve.

• What types of achievements do you recognize and reward?
• Are you, aware of the many ways to recognize folks besides money?
• What action have you taken to ensure all team or department members feel valued?
• How can you ensure that contributions of the people like Joe are recognized and rewarded?

Smart Moves Tip:
Create a reward and recognition plan that is easy to use and spontaneous. Rewards don’t have to be expensive, but they should be timely. Make a big deal out of them. Demonstrate to your team members that each and every one of them is important to your business success.  Here are 50 ways to reward your people and not break the bank. Which ones would work best for you? Also see Employee Recognition: A Unique Way to Show It

What are you doing to attract and engage your top talent? 
You can’t afford to ignore talent management today if you want to grow tomorrow! Take look Talent Keepers. Get free e-book: 101 Business Tips. Copyright © 2013, Marcia Zidle, Smart Moves Business and Executive Coach

Get Leadership Smart Moves Every Week
Tune in every Wednesday 11am Pacific – 2pm Eastern to Marcia’s radio program “The Business Edge” on the Business Channel of VoiceAmerica Internet Radio. Get the right results with the right priorities, the rights people and the right leadership. Click here to hear current and past programs.

These are all too familiar things I hear in coaching leaders and business owners.

 What do all of these have in common?

It’s like someone or something  out there is pulling the strings and you have no control of the situation. Your success or failure is in the hands of others.  But is that really the case?

A Different Way to Look At The Situation

Locus of control describes the degree to which individuals perceive that outcomes result from their own behaviors and decisions we make – or from forces that are external to ourselves –it’s fate or bad luck and not based on what you do.. This produces a continuum with internal control at one end and external l control at the other:

 People who develop an internal locus of control believe that they are responsible for their own success. Those with an external locus of control believe that external forces, like luck, determine their outcomes. Where are you on this continuum?

People with an internal locus of control tend to work harder and persevere longer in order to get what they want. They engage in activities that will improve their situation; try to figure out why things turned out the way they did; find ways to make a situation better by to create more positive outcome.

This is not to say that having an external locus of control is always bad: There are some situations where this approach can work well. The key for your own personal development is to understanding your natural tendency and then adapting it to the situations you are faced with.

 Five Tips to Develop Greater Internal Locus of Control

1. Recognize this basic fact.
You always have a choice. Making no choice is actually a choice in and of itself, and it’s your choice to allow other people or events to decide for you.  Even if you don’t like the choices available at the moment, even if the only change you can make is in your attitude, you always have some choices.

2.  Set small goals for yourself.
Don’t try to solve world hunger, just something  that will move you further along to where you want to go.  Note how, by working towards these and achieving these, you are controlling what happens in your life. As you do this, you’ll find that your self-confidence quickly builds. When you feel trapped, take action.

3. When felling trapped, do something.
Take time off or get away from the situation for a short period of time. Make a list of all possible courses of action.  Also brainstorm with a trusted friend, colleague or coach to get more ideas that you may not have initially considered.

4.  Now it’s time to evaluate and decide.
When you have a list, evaluate each one and decide on the best course of action for you, and keep the others in the back of your mind as alternative options. You may end up with the same answer you had before the brainstorming session, but this exercise can open your eyes to the amount of choices you have in a given situation. Seeing new possibilities will become more of a habit.

5.  Pay attention to your self-talk.
When you hear yourself saying things like, “I have no choice or There’s nothing I can do:, step back and remind yourself that you do, in fact, have some degree of control. It’s your choice whether you exercise it or not. Realizing that you always have choice (even if the choices aren’t ideal) can help you to change your situation, or accept it more easily if it really is the best of all available options.

 Smart Moves Tip

Your locus of control says a lot about how you view the world and your role in determining the course of your life. When you believe you have the power to control your own destiny and determine your own direction, you have a strong internal locus of control. In most cases, this is an important attitude to have if you want to be successful.

Do you know what YOU do today will directly influence where you and even your organization will be in 3, 5 or 10 years?
Don’t gamble with your future! Take action now! Let’s Talk!  Marcia provides highly personalized  coaching to highly motivated leaders and facilitates leadership retreat for your management team.  Copyright © 2013, Marcia Zidle, Smart Moves Business and Executive Coach.

Get Leadership Smart Moves Every Week
Tune in every Wednesday 11am Pacific – 2pm Eastern to Marcia’s radio program “The Business Edge” on the Business Channel of VoiceAmerica Internet Radio. Get the right results with the right priorities, the rights people and the right leadership. Click here to hear current and past programs.

Additional Resources:
Can We Get Back to Normal?
Are Your Change Muscles Flabby or Fit
Expect the Unexpected: Don’ be Caught Off Guard

According to Jeffrey Fritzson, my guest on May 1st on The Business Edge internet radio show, “Whether you are about to make your first, fiftieth or five hundredth hire, attracting and selecting the right people will always be in the top three issues throughout your growth.”

Every new employee you bring in to the organization either raises the competence of the business as a whole (enabling you to grow and prosper) or lowers it (slowing the business down and imperceptibly dragging it toward decline and failure).

For a small growing company or agency, getting the right people with the right skills is critical. Every hire has an impact but when you are 1 of 10 people versus 1 of 500 people the impacts are as different as the requirements of the position.

 Related: How Do I Make Sure I have the Talent to Grow? 

Is Your Hiring Like Flipping a Coin?
Several surveys have indicated a national average of hiring accuracy – that’s the measure of how many recruits remain with the company a year after they are hired – is somewhere between 42% and 58%. This means that the average organization is flipping a coin on every hire.

Imagine if your organization could increase that to 80%, 85% or even more than 90%. This would create a major competitive advantage regardless of the size of your organization.

How Can YOU Hire Better?
Here are four suggestions that Jeffrey will be presenting.

•  First the focus has to be on defining what is necessary to be successful in a particular position. Especially the critical positions. 
• Once the positions are selected it is time to “listen” to the job and take its measurements. You can create a multi-dimensional model or Job DNA of what the position requires.
• Use assessments to look under the hood of a potential candidate or employee. People are like icebergs: 90% or more of their mass is under the surface. Assessments allow you to get a glimpse of what lies beneath.
• Provide interview skills training to hiring managers and human resource staff. Interviewees go to classes to better understand how to answer the questions that interviewers are going to ask them. 

Related: 40 Great Interview Questions For Hiring the Right Person

Smart Moves Tip:

Jack Welch, the former CEO of GE, said, “All we can do is bet on the people we pick. So my whole job is picking the right people.” How well are you picking the right people? Listen to Jeffrey Fritzson May 1st at 11am Pacific 2 pm Eastern on The Business Edge to learn how to make sure you get the right people with the right skills on the right bus who are all going in the right direction.

What are you doing to attract and engage your top talent?
You can’t afford to ignore talent management today if you want to grow tomorrow! Take look talent keepers. Get free e-book: 101 Business Tips. Copyright © 2013, Marcia Zidle, Smart Moves Business and Executive Coach

As a leader, do your people trust you enough to follow you?

This was a question I posed to a group of mid level insurance  leaders during a leadership retreat

The answer: Trust does not emerge from words, it stems from action. In short leaders should “walk the talk”.

What actions should leaders take to earn the trust of their staff?

Below are ten principles gleaned from these leaders to guide one’s leadership – whether you’re a leader of a business, team, hospital, sports team, classroom, church or home.

1. Don’t sit behind a desk.
   Role up your sleeves and get your hands dirty side by side with them. Show them you care.
2. Tell the truth.
   Say what you can say when you can; say when you can’t say and why; and, most importantly, say that you don’t know
3. Be transparent and authentic.
   When people see the real you and that you are willing to be vulnerable, they will open up more and their trust will grow.
4. Be clear and consistent in your expectations.
   And don’t change them every hour. That just frustrates people; results in uncertainty and breeds distrust.
5. Provide a clear vision of where the organization needs to go.
   Share with each one what you see their role is; be open to their input and implement what’s feasible.
6. Don’t shoot the messenger when you receive bad news.
   That only generates fear and distrust and the next time there’s a problem, you may find out when it’s too late.
7. Be aware of what you accept and don‘t accept.
   If you allow things to persist that are contrary to organizational values, the foundation for trust will be weakened and eventually destroyed.
8. Spend a lot of time with people on the front line.
   This builds the trust needed for when things get tough. Make sure you are accessible and don’t allow your staff to filter messages particularly if it’s bad news.
9. Give credit where credit is due.
   Acknowledge if it is done correctly, your team did it. If it’s done only satisfactorily, you and your team did it. If it’s done wrong, you did it. This lets the staff know that you are not there to accept only the rewards but the criticism as well.
10. Do what you say you’re going to do.
    It’s difficult to trust someone who disappoints. Look at how long it takes (and how much it cost) to re-gain a lost customer (internal or external customer) and you will realize that trust does matter in business.

Smart Moves Tip:

Trust is the force that connects people to the leader and his/her vision – Without trust there is a huge gap between the leader and the vision. Without trust people will stay off the bus. However if people trust the leader they will hop on the bus with the leader and help move the bus forward towards the vision.

Get Leadership Smart Moves Every Week
Tune in every Wednesday 11am Pacific – 2pm Eastern to Marcia’s radio program “The Business Edge” on the Business Channel of VoiceAmerica Internet Radio. Get the right results with the right priorities, the rights people and the right leadership. Click here to hear current and past programs.

Ready to Build Your Leadership? 
Marcia can provide executive and group coaching to business leaders and managers, facilitate a leadership retreat for your team or provide a motivational workshop to help your people become more productive. Let’s Talk!   Copyright © 2013, Marcia Zidle.

Related: Doing Work That Matters

So many companies have a values statement on the wall. But ask any employee or even top managers what their values  are and, yes, some can rattle them off. But then go further and ask this question: How would I know it if I see it? Then you probably will get a blank stare of some mumble jumble answer.

This is When You Need CPR:

1. Create
Organizations often tout their values – accountability, innovation, integrity, quality, respect, teamwork – but when is the last time you asked if these values have been defined in behavioral terms? Does the company know what “”respect “for example looks like, feels like or smells like?

In a leadership development program for a growing hospitality company, each module of the training included an exercise called “Values in Action”. Here’s an example. Your  staff and customers  would see and  know “integrity” because you would:

• Admit mistakes – don’t blame others, take responsibility to solve the problem.
• Do what you say you were going to do – and if you can’t, say so.
• Lead by example in both personal and business conduct.
• Commit yourself to both the project and the team.

2. Practice:
The practice part is a bit more challenging. This involves actually doing what you say you value. A critical part of strong leadership is the degree to which what you profess and what you practice are in alignment. So here’s a exercise for you to do each week.

• Pick one value you want to practice. Don’t be an over-achiever and try to accomplish more. Start small and then build. 
• Ask how can I  demonstrate this value? For example, if it’s “respect”, then who are the folks I want to show respect to and how will I do it? It could be as simple as not interrupting Mary when she gets long winded.
• Assess the end of the week what specific things you did to exemplify this particular value? What might have been opportunities you missed? For example, when Joe came in to my office and said…. I could have said this…..
• Pick another value and go through the same process the following week. What you’ll find is awareness plus focus plus motivation leads to change.

3. Reinforce
The reinforcement part requires even more effort. Reinforcement involves specific and deliberate application of affirmation, encouragement and reward for positive behavior. This can be done through positive feedback when you see an employee treating a customer with respect; or it could be part of the annual performance appraisal process; or it could be done by storytelling – a powerful way to communicate what we value and how we behave around here.

The $125,000 Thank You
All companies go through tough times but it’s the way they handle it that makes a difference. For example, Armstrong International, a number of years ago, had to put a wage freeze into effect to get through what looked like a very difficult year. Right from the start, management was up front with the employees talking about how they plan to handle this challenge.

However, the year turned out much better than projected. So to celebrate, everyone was asked to attend a meeting where David Armstrong, the CEO, was standing behind a large table covered by a white sheet. He explained that since the company was doing better than anticipated, he wanted to share its good fortune.

He then lifted the sheet and everyone saw, to their amazement, a table covered with $10 bills; some 12,500 of them – stacked two feet high. One by one, each employee came up and was told, “Thank you for your understanding and commitment to Armstrong.” Each walked away with forty crisp, new $10 bills.

This story has been told over and over again by employees and by the media because it demonstrates eight of the 10 values of the company – Honesty –  Fairness – Respect –  Trust –  Loyalty – Dignity –  Hard Working – Kindness.

Smart Moves Tip:

Values are important. They describe how you relate to your staff, customers, investors and suppliers. Numbers tell you how much there is of something, not if it is right. Values tell you whether something is right for you and your organisation. And when values have been defined in behavioral terms then you, as a leader, can  manage more effectively.

Get Leadership Smart Moves Every Week
Tune in every Wednesday 11am Pacific – 2pm Eastern to Marcia’s radio program “The Business Edge” on the Business Channel of VoiceAmerica Internet Radio. Get the right results with the right priorities, the rights people and the right leadership. Click here to hear current and past programs.

     Additional Leadership Resources For You

Strategy and Culture: What Stories Are You Telling
TouchPoints: Your Leadership Depends on Them
The Elephant Metaphor: Who’s Right?

As managers and business owners, we hire employees to take work off our plate, but all too frequently their tough issues get pushed back onto our laps. That’s not the way it’s supposed to work.

Here’s an easy three-step process, to train your people to stop bringing you problems and start bringing you solutions. It involves the “Three Magic Management Questions.” Master them and you’ll see problems getting solved quickly.

Magic Question Number 1:
You manage a person who has a job to do and sometimes that job is hard. They may get stuck or can’t get past a perplexing problem. They come to you. Why? Because they want you to solve their problem.They want it to be your problem. This is when you ask:

“What do you recommend?”

Don’t add any words to this sentence (you don’t change formulas in magic). That’s it! Before you agree to tackle someone else’s problem – or worse yet, take ownership of it – start with that question. Ask it, and then be quiet. Listen.

A good employee will have given that question some thought already. They might already have a plan of attack. That’s good. You want people thinking and bringing solutions to you.

But some will give you a blank stare or prattle on about how perplexed they are. All problem, no recommendation. You tell that person to come back when they have a suggestion. You’ve sown the first seeds of the most important concept you can instill in people you manage.

 Don’t come to me with a problem unless you have a proposed solution.

 Magic Question Number 2:

So now let’s take it to the next level. When you asked “what do you recommend?” eventually you get a suggestion. Might be brilliant, might be idiocy. And you might be tempted to charge ahead and endorse that recommendation. Don’t! You’re not ready. You have two more questions to go. Your next one is:

 ”What options did you consider?“

Here’s your message: “I’m glad you have a proposal…really glad. But don’t just bring me just any old solution, bring me the one that’s emerged in your thinking as the best of several options.”

Good employees lay out the various options that they considered and rejected, and tell you why. Challenged employees mumble and stutter and ultimately prove to both of you that they didn’t really do their homework. “Thank you very much,” you say, “and feel free to come back when you can lay out the options.”

What does this question do? It gets your people in the habit of critical problem solving. They start to look at options and potential solutions for you both to discuss. You’ve sent the next important message.

 Don’t come to me with the first solution that comes to mind.

Magic Questions Number 3:

If you’re at this stage, you already have a recommendation on the table and a variety of alternatives that were considered. Ready to close the loop? Then ask the last question:

 ”What makes your recommended solution the best of the alternatives you considered?”

Now we’re at the meat of management. Rather than dumping that issue in your lap, your employee has brought you options and a recommendation. Now you can validate the critical thinking that went into the recommendation. Have the most important factors been considered? Are there variables that should be evaluated? Maybe risks that haven’t been addressed? Opportunities that aren’t being grabbed? What’s the final message you’re sending?

 Don’t bring me a problem unless you can recommend a solution that you’ve thought about and can defend as the best of the available options.

When you’re having these conversations, you’re working at your best. You’re using an effective problem-solving process that drives good decisions. And more importantly, you’re teaching your employees how to do it for themselves. Then their problems no longer become your problems.

 Now that’s magic.

Post by Jeff Whittle is Managing Partner of Cogris, a Dallas-based company that helps business owners, CEOs and leadership teams build a better business.

Get Management Smart Moves Every Week
Tune in every Wednesday 11am Pacific – 2pm Eastern to Marcia’s radio program “The Business Edge” on the Business Channel of VoiceAmerica Internet Radio. Get the right results with the right priorities, the rights people and the right leadership. Click here to hear current and past programs.

Additional Managment Resources For You

How to Say No and Make It Stick
Stop the Blame Game, Start Getting Accountability
Want to Get Control of Your Time, Then Delegate and Do It Right

Culture sets the tone of how we do things around here.  It defines and explains the way a business operates. Most people can readily recognize companies with a great, effective culture.

Take for example:  IBM, GE—known and respected globally for excellence and financial performance:  Apple and Google—known and respected globally for innovation; Zappos and Lands End—known for quality products and excellent service.

And if we look more locally and from our person experiences, we can recall our local or regional award winning hospital—known for medical professionalism and high level of patient satisfaction; our favorite  restaurant—known for fabulous food and excellent service; and our trusted suppliers or vendors from whom we rely on their quality and timeliness.

Culture is Like an Iceberg
We know from the Titanic that only the top of the iceberg was visible; the larger portion was underneath the water and invisible yet had great impact – it brought the Titanic down!

So, the visible aspects of culture (the 10%) are what we see on the surface: For example, the company logo, symbols, how space is used, the way people dress, the way they talk.

The not so visible, elements of culture (the 90%) are  the values (what’s important, what we care about) and the norms ( the ways  people are expected to act). They impact the organization in three things:

1. Establishes an identity – people feel connected and committed.
2. Aligns everyone’s behavior so that they’re rowing in the same direction.
3. Provides the basis for making the right decisions and taking the right actions.

Essentially, it is  what’s  below the water line  that  drives the organization to success or failure.

Why Is Culture Important?
In a Deloitte Consulting firm study, 98% of executives and 88% of employees believe workplace culture is important to business success. Companies, with a strong culture, outperform companies with weak cultures because:

• Their reputation as a great place to work will attract and retains great talent.
• People who have a shared purpose work better together and achieve more.
• Greater customer satisfaction will lead to better retention and referrals.

What’s Your Culture?
Culture is not putting nice sounding words on a piece of paper and posting it on the walls. Or trying to imitate or copy another company’s culture. It gets built one day at time, interaction after interaction. So, how to start? Get feedback.

1. At your next staff, team or board meeting ask:

•  If you had to describe what it’s like to work here, what would you tell someone?
• If you could change one thing to make your job easier, what would it be?
• What kind of a person succeeds here?  Fails?

2. Also talk with your customers and ask:

• What is it like to do business with us? Are we easy to difficult?
• If you could change one thing to have a better experience, what would it be?
•  Do you exceed, meet or disappoint your expectations? How can we improve?

Smart Moves Tip:
Much of culture is played out in the day-to-day interactions between employees and their managers or customers and the service or sales departments.  So what top leaders need to realize is that their actions –what they do or don’t do—influences the perception of the company’s culture both inside and outside the company.

Get Business Leadership Smarts Every Week
Tune in every Wednesday 11am Pacific – 2pm Eastern to Marcia’s radio program “The Business Edge” on the Business Channel of VoiceAmerica Internet Radio.  Develop the right leadership to move your company, firm or practice forward fast. Click here to hear current and past programs.

Additional Leadership Resources for You

Are People At Yahoo Jumping For Joy?
Culture Fit Can Make or Break a Career
What Stories Are You Telling?

In Grow or Die, George Ainsworth-Land described the predictable and inevitable growth curve with three phases which applies to any organization or company and even to relationships. But we’ll stick to the workplace.

Which Phase Are You In and Are You On the Right Track?

 Phase 1: Invention or Getting Off the Ground
The company is highly entrepreneurial. It’s born out of a desire to meet a need – whether it’s a nonprofit to deal with a social or community issue or a start up to bring a new product or idea or process to market. The climate is high energy, fast paced, seat-of-the-pants and at times chaotic. But it’s exciting!

Can you make it through this phase and not burn-out or fail-out?  

Phase 2: Improvement or Rapid Expansion
You begin to see results from all the hard work – more customers, funders, publicity – but are you making a profit or making a dent in the problems you’re trying to solve? This is when you’re adding staff or opening new stores or increasing your inventory, etc. It can be a real culture shock to move from stage one to two. You know you want it and you need it. But it’s hard to deal with.

Can you move from the visionary leader to an effective manager?

Phase 3: Reinvention or Stagnation
To keep growing, you must look at new markets, grow your current niche, expand product lines or add new services. You may be considering acquisitions, mergers or going public. Similar to phase 1, the leader must create the vision, energy, culture and direction again. However this is a much different, more complex organization. Your leadership role had changed again.

Are you able to let go of operations and become an innovator again?

Smart Moves Tip

Growth requires that entrepreneurs and business leaders change what they do. Successful and sustainable growth requires the right kind of leadership, the right environment (culture) and the right processes. Do you have them?

Find Out the Accelerators and Pitfalls of Growth

Listen to Linda Bush, on The Business Edge  of VoiceAmerica Internet Radio hosted by Marcia Zidle. She will show you how she has successfully applied the principles of Grow or Die to a variety of entrepreneurial and mid-size companies to get them on the right track and keep them there. Tune into The Business Channel every Wednesday 11am Pacific Time to get smart moves for business and leadership growth.

Additional leadership and business growth resources.

Your Leadership Brand: Asset or Liability
It’s Time to Get Rid of Business as Usual
The Elephant Metaphor: Who’s Right? 

These are things I’ve been hearing frequently  from overworked, stressed out managers. I jokingly mentioned, in a recent presentation, if there was  something in the air that’s causing this outbreak of “I must do it myself if it’s going to get done right.”

Leaders, who are reluctant to delegate, can usually come up with what they consider logical explanations for their stand.  But these explanations are based on fears of letting go and of losing control. What they don’t realize is that while they’re busy “doing it all themselves”, they are falling further behind.

Of course there are times when we and we alone “own” the project or task. But how often is that the case?  The real problem with delegation I have found  lies not with the person being delegated to but rather with the one who needs to delegate.

The Fail-Safe Way To Delegate

Delegation, if done right, is a both a  time management and leadership development tool. Here are 7 tips to delegate effectively. It will make you a better time manager and a better leader as well.

1. Delegate early.
Make an effort to delegate the task early to avoid unnecessary pressure. This allows the person to better plan the task.

2. Select the right person.
Ensure that the person has the time to take on the responsibility. Assess the skills and capabilities of your staff and assign the task to the most appropriate person. Make sure the person has the training and resources to succeed.

3. Communicate the rationale.
Identify the reason for the task and how it will contribute to the goals of the company or department or team. Also, point out how the delegated task could benefit the person. Remember a routine task to you may be a new challenging task to your subordinate.

4. Set clear goals and expectations.
Be clear and specific on the parameters – the what, why, when, who and where- and the amount of authority – what she can decide and what you must decide, etc. You might leave the “how” to them if they are experienced. Or ask how they might go about handling the task so you can identify any missteps right from the start.  so you can . Confirm and verify task goals and expectations.

5. Delegate the entire task.
This gives the person the responsibility, increases their motivation and avoids ambiguity in accountability. Otherwise, different people will have different ideas about who does what when.

6. Don’t just drop it.
Request regular updates or progress reports especially if it’s a large or new assignment. That way you can catch problems or mistakes early and provide assistance when necessary.This will also give you a comfort level that things are going as planned.

7. Evaluate results. 
Did the person meet the set expectations? Did the task get done accurately, on time, on budget  If so,  recognize the person’s performance. This will reinforce both yours and the person’s confidence in their abilities. If it didn’t, then analyze the cause of insufficient performance and coach on  how to improve. But don’t throw in the towel. Remember, most of us learn more from our mistakes than successes.

Smart Moves Tip:

Delegation is about more than just taking work from you and giving it to someone else. It’s about getting work down in the most efficient manner using the resources you have available. Yes, sometimes  a staff person can actually get better results than you. In addition, delegation is about valuing people and allowing other to develop by giving them increased responsibility and authority. That’s what makes an effective leader.

Are You On the Right Track, Wrong Track or Side-Tracked?
Find out now. Let’s Talk!  Get better control of your leadership and your life! Copyright © 2013  Marcia Zidle, Smart Moves Business and Executive Coach.

Additional resources to grow you leadership
Doing Work That Matters of Spinning Your Wheels
Personal Productivity: Work Smarter Not Harder
Do Your People Feel Handcuffed?