The problem with delegation is that it can be a slow process, especially in the early stages.  There are always concerns that you will actually end up much busier because you will need to spend additional time coaching and training your colleagues.  However, developing your staff is a vital part of your job which takes courage, patience and skill and in the long run, it will create great benefits for you and your organisation. For example, it will create valuable time for you to concentrate on those areas that are really business critical, it will motivate your staff and help them to take responsibility and it will also satisfy you on a personal level, seeing your staff grow and develop.

A great way to delegate appropriately is by knowing your people; once you truly know your people, it will help you to identify what to delegate and to whom. Make a list of all the things you can & cannot delegate, then identify the skills your team already has and match them against the tasks you would like to delegate. This way will also help you to create an individual development plan, knowing what skills already exist and what else needs to be learnt to enable your staff to do a specific job. Make people aware of your own standards and what is expected of them but be aware that mistakes do happen – it’s only natural and your colleagues will still need your support. Let go and teach your people to take responsibility.

You can learn much more about delegation in our Essential Management Skills open course which will give you a greater insight into how to handle any potential challenges and if you need any informal advice on this subject, please get in touch with me and I will be happy to help.

Marina Wirkner
marina@phoenix-training.co.uk

It read like this -

“I am working for the French Business Schools since 2004, and I am in charge of helping some French students to find a company based in London for their UNPAID Internships.

There is NO fees, NO expenses for your company as it is a TOTALLY UNPAID Internship (We are covering ALL the expenses, There is NO Costs, NO Expenses, NO Fees for your company).”

Having read it a couple more times and briefly mulled over the potential of employing a French student, my rather cautious nature kicked in and I quickly dismissed the whole idea.

A few days later, a colleague and I were reviewing a recent meeting with our online marketing consultants.  We had been told in no uncertain terms that we needed to undertake a major piece of analysis before we could begin to implement a truly effective campaign. Of course, this analysis called for the one thing we’re in really short supply of right now – our time.  However, as the prospect of late nights and a weekend spent in the office loomed, my thoughts returned to that email.

There were a few raised eyebrows when I put forward the idea at our weekly meeting and I must admit that I was as sceptical as anyone at first. However, having done a bit of research I begun to warm to the idea and a few days after having declared our interest, we arranged a telephone interview with our prospective intern – Ms Chéryl Bourjac.  Chéryl, who is originally from Guadeloupe, was in her second year at the ISC Business School in Paris and needed to spend six weeks working for a UK based company as part of her degree.

Although the conversation was brief, I felt thoroughly reassured by her enthusiasm and agreed there and then to offer a six week internship at Phoenix.

Chéryl has now been with us for two weeks and her assistance to all parts of the business has been invaluable.  She has already completed the first stage of the marketing analysis and has impressed us all with her strong work ethic and attention to detail.  At the same time, her English is improving quickly and I’m sure that she is learning a lot from working in a company like Phoenix.

Overall, I’m delighted that we agreed to the internship and I would certainly have no hesitation in doing so again.  I think that the scepticism we have for such placements probably stems from the concept of work experience which here in the UK has always been associated with surly school children showing little or no interest in the job.  In Europe, “Internships” are viewed as a key part of many College courses and provide a valuable experience for both parties – which is exactly how we both feel now.   If your company gets a similar opportunity, do please try it – if it’s anything like our experience, you’ll be pleasantly surprised by how it works out.

Well, my last few weeks have felt like a real rollercoaster ride.  Eight weeks ago I was happily leading a successful team of sales managers, delivering financial solutions to the mass affluent market in Yorkshire.  Today, I’m sat in my new London office with my new colleagues enjoying excitement and challenge in equal measure and looking forward to a new chapter in my life, returning to a dedicated role in people development.  When asked if I’d like to contribute something to the blog my thoughts went back to a previous role – that of Induction Delivery Manager looking after the needs of around 3000 new hires for a large corporate. In particular my thoughts turn to two key areas.

Firstly, close attention to the emotional journey any new-hire is likely to go through is crucial to their success.  The on-boarding process needs to recognise that journey and help the new-hire celebrate and retain the emotional and motivational ‘highs’.  It also needs to anticipate and recognise the potential lows and help the new-hire deal with the associated emotional impact.  Having now been both recruiter and ‘recruited’ the experiences have, once again, put the different perspectives into sharp focus.  One thing is undoubted, both the hiring manager and the new starter have a common interest at the outset – success.  The question is what does ’success’ look like for both and are they similar?

The challenge this throws squarely in front of the hiring manager – ‘how do you have a generic on-boarding process that caters for the needs of individuals?’.  It boils down to one thing – know your people.  Not just your new-hire but those people you already have that are likely to be the key influencers in the individual’s early development.  Checking in regularly with you new-hire is crucial.  You need to pulse check motivation.  As managers we often correlate motivation with productivity.  What’s missed is the link – development.  In order to be more productive I need to develop.  A strong belief I have brought with me to Phoenix is that, in order to develop, individuals have to have to want to learn.  For new hires or ‘old hands’ or indeed anywhere in between, the effective manager will know how to motivate the individual.

This brings me to the second part of successful on-boarding of the ‘new-hire’.  That of being aligned with the company vision, goals and values.  I spent my first day in the training room with Bill (MD and trainer) observing Phoenix’s Essential Management open course here in London.  It re-affirmed the pre-hire belief that my own values and beliefs were aligned with that of my new employer.  Imagine if they weren’t!  And it’s not just being ‘told’ the company values – as a new hire it’s vital to see those values coming through in the behaviour of leaders, managers, peers and teams.  Again this confers a responsibility on the manager to explore the individual’s values and ensuring that those of the company are communicated in a way that demonstrates that ‘you’ve made the right choice’.

Having had my confirmations that I’ve made the right choice I’m now on the lookout for lots of work – ah, the power of motivation!

Tip 1 – Set aside time to be seen by the people who you manage

This sounds easy but amidst the turmoil of a modern management career it is so easy to forget that your primary objective is to gain results through the efforts of others. Pick someone you admire for their management skills and see how they do it. The chances are that they will spend time understanding what makes people tick and how best to leverage the efforts of people.

Tip 2 – Don’t confuse busy with effective

Most managers work long and hard but the real high flyers, and the ones who seem to rise in the organisation most quickly, are the ones who know how to concentrate on the important issues whilst at least keeping the fires at bay. Pick the most important three issues each day and deal with them first before anything else. This requires some real thought but this process will teach you just how to focus on the things that matter.

Tip 3 – Get a good grounding in the financial aspects of the job

It really does not matter how you do this but, like it or not, the real essence of a manager’s job is to benefit the organisation more than he or she costs the organisation. If you understand how best to do this and can communicate the results in financial terms then you will always be sought after since you add value.

Tip 4 – Look after your own health

Again, this is easier said than done. If you are fit and healthy then you will find that you have more energy and therefore you can work hard and smart. Combine this with the other tips and you become a natural working machine that produces results time after time.

Tip 5 – Keep learning

Any modern management role will be demanding and new skills are the only real job security that exists in the workplace of today. Keeping up to date and demonstrating that you can apply new skills is an excellent way to demonstrate your value to the business.