Setting the Framework for a Delegated Job

Last time I talked about the value of delegating the whole job to employees; a piece of work that they will recognize to have intrinsic value.  Now I want to discuss the importance of communicating the scope of the job to the employee.  

Whenever you assign a job, a dialogue must occur.  You have to explain to the employee what the boundary conditions are for this assignment.

This would include things like the amount of money that can be spent, the target date for completion,  the extent of availability of other resources, the priority of this project compared to others, and political hurdles.  The list should be as comprehensive as possible. 

The conversation shouldn’t be one way from the manager to the employee.  The employees have a responsibility to think and ask questions to make sure that they understand the goals and limitations of the project.  This is the most important step in the entire process, because this is where you explain to the employees what the limits are to their authority, and their level of accountability. 

Follow-up.  Let the employee have enough space to run the project.  This helps to make the employee feel responsible for the results of the assignment.  But don’t cast them adrift either. 

This is not a hands-off approach to management.  Leadership that is not felt by the employee is not leadership.  Set up milestones to reconvene and check on progress.  Be there when the employees need you. 

Knowing when and how to involve yourself with the employees is a fine art.  You have to be alert to every signal from the workplace including body language, tone of voice, and mood.  It sounds like a lot to keep track of, but you get better with practice.  Leadership can be learned.  After a while you’ll be able to make a quick walk through your department and immediately sense those areas that need attention.

Motivation.  How do you get employees charged up to take on the additional accountability of an empowered workforce?  Well, the first thing you can do is to stop demotivating them.  As the Greek physician, Hippocrates, said, “First, do no harm.” 

Recently empowered employees experience an intense urge to exercise their newly bestowed authority.  If the boundaries of authority are not clear the employee will overstep the limits. 

When they come back to the manager with the completed project they will feel very proud of the product that they have put so much work into.  Thus, they are very vulnerable.  If you cut them off at the knees at that point because they have exceeded spending limits or violated some other law of the universe, you will demotivate your workforce. 

Your chances of ever getting them to step outside of their comfort zone again are about zero.  They will never reach out and grab responsibility and they will pester you for approvals on all but the most trivial decisions.  The way to prevent this from occurring is to make those boundary conditions crystal clear at the initial assignment meeting.

Ok, let’s assume that you’ve stopped demotivating your employees.  How do you go beyond and actually start to motivate them?  Well, most of the pieces are in place.  Now all you have to do is take advantage of your employees’ own self worth and internal values.  You know how to clarify the project boundary conditions at the initial assignment meeting. 

Your message to the employee is that those boundaries provide a framework.  They can’t operate outside that frame.  But within that frame is a blank piece of canvas.  Their assignment is to go paint a beautiful picture.  Nine times out of ten they’ll come back with a masterpiece. 

They will understand that in many ways that masterpiece is a self portrait.  If you, as a manager, then take that masterpiece and put it up on a wall for all to see, you will be well on the way toward creating your own masterpiece, a highly motivated and productive workforce.

In teaching it's called the Socratic method.

In marketing there's the famous story of the cake mix that only needed water.  According to marketing legend it sat on shelves until it was reformulated to require a fresh egg.  Turns out it's only partly true.  But the essence is valid.  If you want to motivate your customer or your employee, engage their input as much as possible in the creation of the product.

This process of control followed by letting-go has analogues everywhere.  A baseball pitcher can’t guide the ball all the way through the pitching motion.  There will be no velocity.  The pitcher has to let go part way through the pitch and whip the ball through the release point.

This same concept carries over in many sports – golf, tennis, rugby, etc.  But the last place I ever expected to see it translate to is art.  Since I know nothing about art, I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised at anything I learn about it.

I was at an art show and a particular painting just stopped me in my tracks.  As luck would have it, the artist happened to be standing there.  I asked her how she created this eyeball dropping piece.  Her answer amazed me.

“I have to be very careful and not get too rigid.  I have to discipline myself to stop adding strokes and turn it over to the viewer.”  The artist has to delegate to the viewer.

(No, I wasn’t talking to Da Vinci.  But do you think that leaving open the question of her mood affected the value of the work?)

So now I’m going to delegate delegation to you.

You know how to assign the whole job, how to define boundaries of authority, how hold accountability, and how to motivate employees.  All you need to do is do it.  Don’t wait.  Start now.  Few of us are natural leaders, but you can learn the skills.  As you improve, it will get easier.  You can use these skills to create a Strong Quality Culture in your organization.

How about you?  Do you have a similar story?  What has worked best for you?  Comment below.