Leadership Lessons: Failure to Launch

The Best Laid Plans....
Have you ever wondered why it is, that even with the most careful planning and organization, certain projects fail to achieve the results you envisioned? Ask yourself this question, "Did I derail my own plans because I was not willing to delegate?"

Some Perspective
We've all heard the phrase, "If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself." From my point of view, nothing could be further from the truth.

Having been a manager for a large corporation as well as running my own consuting business for over two decades, I often think about the lessons I've learned over the years. What I know for sure is that learning to delegate effectively will make you a more effective leader. Yes, planning and organization can help, but if you aren't delegating, chances are you will constantly battle the problem of keeping up with everything that has to be done, which leads to productivity issues.
These days, leaders are charged with many challenges, including the maximization of resources. Those who are in a position of responsibility must constantly be in the mode of developing talent. And, one of the best ways to do that is by delegating tasks.

Delegating accomplishes two things. One, it expresses your confidence in your team members. And two, delegation motivates team members to step outside of their box and go beyond the previously defined limits of their potential.

I've also worked with team leaders who had other preconceptions, which always seemed to hold them back from delegation: "Some people are basically lazy, interested only in their paycheck and fringe benefits." Or, "If I grant team members additional responsibility my authority will be challenged." Does that sound familiar? These preconceptions are often the reason team leaders hesitate to assign tasks to their team members, resulting in a lack of productivity, low motivation among the team, and in general, real problems in the workplace.

What's holding back the team leaders in your organization? In my experience one of the main reasons team leaders hold back is that they do not have confidence that they know "how to" delegate effectively, and that the assignment will be done well, and the belief that they have done so in a manner that demonstrates real leadership.Many team leaders can benefit by a deeper understanding of the skills that those who delegate effectively use and put into practice every day.

A Solution
Experience in working with hundreds of organizations has proven that management skill levels, like the ability to successfully delegate work, have a direct impact on business results:

Increased productivity
Maximized resources
Developed talent
Motivated employees

The Vital Learning formula for boosting skill levels and results is found in our "Delegating" program. This 4-hour skill-building workshop will help your leaders do the following:

Explain the need for delegation
Use delegation of task to motivate
Explain and ask team member's view
Specify responsibility and authority
Confirm team member's understanding and set up time for review

To learn more about "Delegating" or the complete Vital Learning leadership development curriculum download this 4-page PDF or watch this brief video.

The Vital Learning curriculum is available in Classroom, Online, or Blended delivery options and includes the following essential topics...

Hiring - knowing what to do to consistently hire the right talent
Disciplining - understanding how to discipline others to eliminate problem behavior
Complaints - being able to effectively manage complaints
Coaching - knowing how to productively coach job skills
Project Management - being able to run projects, both on-time and on-budget
Conflict - understanding how to successfully resolve conflict
Developing Performance Goals and Standards - understanding how to establish performance goals and standards
Providing Feedback - knowing when and how to give feedback
And more...
For detail go to www.TheLearningEngine.org