This is the fifth in a series of blogs on delegation skills. This article focuses on monitoring tasks.
Robert is a natural innovator and improviser when solving problems. He starts with a sense of urgency. He sees opportunities and acts on them. He pivots from one direction to another when new realities call for it. He has been successful in business for over 20 years. He is an ideal entrepreneur.
Robert’s challenge is monitoring the tasks that he delegates.
Is monitoring the task that you delegate a challenge for you?
Monitoring Tasks Guidelines:
Here are three guidelines that Robert uses to stay out of trouble, and effectively monitor the tasks he delegates:
Make sure that goals, timelines, and milestones have been set up clearly.
Robert mostly allows staff to set these parameters. In some cases, he may set them himself. In every case he makes sure his team understands them as he understands them. With these guidelines and milestones, he uses the monitoring process to measure progress and discuss latest ideas. He knows that without clear goals to guide him and his team, he will hover around his staff, checking up on details that they should monitor, and slowing the process rather than aiding it.
Match the level of monitoring to staff’s maturity, ability, and motivation.
Robert devised this guideline from the Situational Leadership strategy. To get the most from his staff, he provides each of them with the specific degree of freedom that allows each of them to perform most effectively.
Instill staff with a sense of success and achievement.
Robert remembers, sometimes better than others, that he not a watchdog for his team, but a coach and communicator. Then he monitors progress, looks for exceptional achievements, and is sure to give recognition and –when possible- reward to his staff for their efforts.
Robert is not a natural at monitoring projects that he delegates. These guidelines keep him out of trouble and allow him, his team, and his business to flourish!
QUESTIONS
- What lessons might you learn from Robert’s experience?
- How might you need to alter these guidelines make them work for you, your staff, and your business?
Chuck Scharenberg is the Founder of More Profit More Freedom, a consultancy that supports the execution of large-scale growth for small businesses. His practice has successfully grown businesses with processes that identify potential roadblocks and mitigation schemes to accelerate realistic execution..
Solving the Right problems by asking the Right questions!