2024 is the year to delegate like a pro and unleash your team’s potential. But how do you as a manager or executive leverage the power of delegation and skip the micromanagement routine? By trusting the skills and unique strengths of every member of your team.
Micromanagement suffocates your team, leaving them stuck in second gear. It’s time to focus on results over control and watch how that sparks innovation.
Here is how to break free from the chaos of micromanagement and let empowerment lead the way:
Trust in Your Team’s Capabilities
You need to trust in your team’s ability to deliver. Teams thrive where their skills are tested and their expertise trusted. A lack of trust in your team will manifest in your behavior toward them. That will effectively shape their attitude towards you and their work. on the other hand, trust can be a powerful motivator for your team to give their best.
Acknowledge your team’s skills and expertise, and trust in their capabilities to do the job by themselves.
Set Clear Expectations
Communicate goals, priorities, and timelines upfront. Take the driver’s seat in providing guidelines and setting expectations; but, remember to take input from your people concerning the said tasks. Remember, what is clear to you might not necessarily be so to the rest of your team.
Encourage Open Communication
Trust rides on the back of keeping open and transparent communication. Foster a culture where team members feel comfortable expressing their ideas and concerns while giving open feedback.
Delegate Effectively
Delegation is more than just trying to match a job description. Your team members’ strengths, skills, and aptitudes should determine what tasks you assign to them. Provide necessary resources and support, but avoid unnecessary intervention.
And, avoid assigning tasks to the wrong people, lest you end up with rubbish results.
Focus on Results
Good managers can control processes. Effective managers achieve the desired outcomes. Sometimes this means taking the backseat and being there just to provide guidance and support.
This isn’t to imply that processes aren’t important. However, complex problems might need unconventional solutions sometimes. If a team member comes up with a solution outside of the box, celebrate the results and speak to the process, if internal.
Provide Training and Development
Equip your team with the confidence to handle their jobs correctly and independently. By providing training and development, your people will not only grow professionally but will also be endeared to you for life. Here at the Lilian Ngala Network, we pride ourselves on bringing out the best capabilities of your employees, providing HR clinics, mentorship, coaching, and vertical upscaling of skills.
Lead by Example
Nothing is a better motivator to employees than seeing their manager lead from the front. Don’t just demand excellence from your team, but be sure to demonstrate it all the way. You’re the captain of your ship, the pilot of your plane. The buck starts and falls with you.
Demonstrate trust and accountability, and showcase effective delegation and collaboration in your work. You will lead your party to the top.
Provide Constructive Feedback
Employees take feedback very seriously. Offer constructive feedback that focuses on improvement rather than criticism. This should be specific and clearly outline areas of improvement. If the feedback pertains to performance, let it focus on behavior rather than the person. Recognize and appreciate accomplishments as well.
Monitor and Adjust
Monitoring implies evaluating how well your team does from time to time, through measuring key performance indicators. However, you also need to regularly assess your management approach and adjust as needed.
Wrapping It Up
By implementing these remedies, you can avoid the micromanagement bug and foster a positive and collaborative work environment. The result? Your employees will feel empowered, motivated, and appreciated, and retention will skyrocket.