One of the things we observe a lot of in serving local government leaders is a lack of time to focus on strategic goals. Everyone’s plate is full. As leaders of key departments in cities and counties it’s imperative that you find ways to delegate projects and routine items to others on your team.
But, we sometimes we don’t want to delegate because:
- No one can do is as well as us.
- No one else has room on their plate.
- You actually like doing those things you can do easily.
There are several steps to delegating:
- Determine what you can delegate and who can best do them.
- Ask the person if they are open to the new activity and then share the details of how to accomplish the activity.
- Tell the person why you have chosen them and that you believe they have what it takes to do the job. This acts as a great morale booster for your team member.
- Explain how you will support them in the effort so that they are not lost and can learn; perhaps they can observe you several times.
- Check with your manager to be sure the activity you are giving them does not alter their job role significantly (or you may have to alter their official role).
- Thank them for taking on the new activity and let them know what it means to you and to the organization.
- You may have to help them organize their priorities as well or help them delegate some items down to free up their plate.
This process addresses both the transactional part of the work (getting the task completed) and the relational aspect of the activity (encouraging co-workers and growing their skills). Coaching the person and encouraging them leads to incremental effort.
Achieving strategic objectives for your local government is critical as it improves service levels, brings about new services and makes life better for your team and citizens.
If you have any questions about leadership development for your team or how to easily measure and track key objectives, give us a call at 678-833-4310 or email Bill Stark at bstark@innercomm.net.
