You Can't Control Everything All of The Time

Do you know me? I'm the one who is constantly looking over your shoulder. I lurk in the shadows, waiting for you to slip up so that I can pounce. Still don't recognize me? My way is always the best way. I need to be in charge and I want everyone else to know it.

If this sounds like someone you know, perhaps you and I are one and the same: the typical "Type A" personality. (I'll let you decide what the "A" stands for.) We're the micro-manager, the classic control-freak.

There's no question that this style of managing does get results. But will this management style, which was born out of the 1950's, be the same management style that will gain you success today? I believe that it can't. I believe there has been a dramatic shift in worker attitudes. I believe that the secret to good management today is about "inclusion", not "exclusion". Workers today want to feel that they are a valued member of the team. Managing effectively these days, I feel, means that you have to "give up control to get control".

It's called delegation. I know some managers have a problem with this concept. They feel that to control things they must be involved in all things. Yet the reality is you can't control everything all of the time. Some things are just bigger than you are. You, physically, can't be in all places at once. What is it about sharing some of your responsibilities with others that scares you?

Managers need to do three things really well to be effective. They need to be able to communicate, educate and delegate. Think of delegation this way. If you don't delegate some of your tasks and responsibilities, you're robbing your people of an opportunity to grow. If you don't trust them to do a job on their own, why did you hire them in the first place? (Question: Do workers get stupid before or after you hire them?)

Try this exercise: Think of all of the jobs that you do and list them on a piece of paper. Now look over that list and circle the ones that only you can do (for example, payroll, salary reviews, disciplinary action). If you are being completely honest with yourself there should be some things on that list that you haven't circled. Those are the ones you're going to give up. Once you have created your list of the tasks you can delegate, match each task to the person you feel is most qualified for, or capable of, doing that job. Remember: you can't pick yourself!

Congratulations! You have just completed step one of my three-steps-to-effective-delegation process. Steps two and three are: communicating that you have delegated the task, and to whom, and educating the person on how to complete the task by demonstrating how it is done, and showing the individual what the end product should look like. (I always make sure I tell the person why we do what we do and why it is so important that the end product look like mine.) Don't get too hung up on how your people go about doing it. Yes; you can give them some pointers here and there but keep in mind that most people like to put their own stamp on things. It's important that you show trust and confidence in your people. The best way to do that: get out of their way and let them do their jobs.

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