LESSON 6 - HOW TO DELEGATE, MANAGE YOUR TIME, SOLVE PROBLEMS & MAKE THE RIGHT DECISIONS

Introduction:  Know how to get it all done with the least amount of stress

Managers usually have to juggle many tasks, projects, and meetings daily.  If you try to take on every project yourself, you will most likely end up missing deadlines and ineffectively prioritizing.  You need to multitask, but you can only do so much.  You will end up stressed out.  You will be rushed for meetings and somewhat ineffective as your thoughts will be on the tasks at hand rather than the subject meeting.  Your staff will also feel a bit demoralized, as they will feel you do not trust them to take on the tasks and projects you are working on.  All together, it is a lose/lose situation.

This is why delegating is one of the most important aspects of being a successful manager.  It might seem like you are passing the work on to others so you don’t have to do it, but that is the wrong way to think and it is untrue.  When you delegate, you are able to multi-task more effectively.  This helps manage your time to be more prepared for things like upcoming meetings, dealing with internal issues, and prioritizing upcoming projects.  It will also help reduce stress.  Your staff will be motivated, as they are participating in ways that will help the department and company.  All together, it’s a win/win situation.

An important part of delegating is making the right decisions such as, who will be best suited for the project?  How many people are needed?  How long it should take?  Managers need to make decisions on the problems they are faced with everyday.  Some problems are small and require little decision making, some are detrimental to the department’s success and requires a well thought out and sound decision.  You solve problems correctly by making the right decisions up front.

This lesson will cover how to effectively delegate, focus on how to multi-task, manage your time, and making the right decisions to solve the problems, all the while keeping your stress levels down.

Delegate Confidently

A sign of a good leader is how they are able to delegate.  You need to get the work done through others.  This is the best way to accomplish more every day.  The basic definition of delegating is “assigning duties to another person or persons while still being held accountable.”  The most important thing is to know whom to delegate to and when.  You should make sure you know exactly what needs to be accomplished before you give the task to someone else. 

Don’t feel like you are passing the buck.  This is expected of you as a manager.  It is vital that you let your staff take on most of the tasks, projects, etc.  This gives them a chance to show what they can do.  It breaks up the monotony of the day and gives some excitement to the individual or team. 

Some managers make the mistake to not delegate because they think that if they hold all of the cards, they are indispensable.  On the contrary, you are more indispensable when you show your leadership skills by delegating.  You are more likely to get praised or even promoted when you show your leadership skills, and not because you know something that someone else doesn’t know. 

Successful delegation of authority might seem like it takes time and energy, but it's worth it.  It helps employee empowerment and gives you a chance to focus on larger and more pressing issues.  It's worth the time and energy to help employees succeed and help them in their development.  They will more likely be able to meet your expectations, and you build the employee's self-confidence and self-esteem.  Employees, who feel successful, usually are successful.  This will also open up future delegation opportunities.  The more you delegate, the easier it becomes.  The tighter you hold on, the harder it will be to let go. 

Do not be intimidated when it comes to delegating.  You might feel unsure and timid when approaching another to do the work.  Use your leadership skills to confidently delegate with a “matter of fact” approach.  Again, the more you do it, the easier it becomes.  In fact, you will be respected for your delegation skills.

You get power, when you give power.  Help your employees grow, teach them well, and be happy in their success.  The best compliment you can get is a compliment given to one of your employees.

Before you delegate, first ask yourself these three questions: 

1. Can this project or task be delegated and do you have the staff that can honestly do the work required?

2. Should it be delegated or is it too critical and truly needs your involvement?

3. Do you have enough time to delegate the job effectively and explain the expectations and outcome? 

If you can say yes to the three questions just asked, utilize these eight tips and points when delegating:

1. Pick the right person best suited for the task.  Match the task with the person closest to the responsibility.  Some tasks can go to a lower rung employee, or some might need to go to a supervisor.  They just need to have the knowledge and skills to do the job.   You want it done right.  If the project is successful, the employee gets the credit.  If it fails, you are accountable. 

2. Make sure the person can work independently.  What tends to happen is the unsure or savvy person continually asks questions to the point where you end up doing most of the work.  This is called “reverse delegation.”  Through time, you end up taking on some if not all of the duties you gave the person.  You end up spending more time on the project than you would if you have just did it yourself from the beginning.  You get questions like, “Can you set that up for me?” even though they should be able to do it for themselves.  If you come across this type of situation, instead of making the decision for them or taking back the task, go over the various possibilities and put the ball back into their court.  If you ask for something and somehow you walked away with the responsibility, you have experienced reverse delegation.  Don’t give in unless the person truly cannot do the task asked of them.  If needed, assign the task to someone else without demoralizing the person.

3. Make sure the person understands exactly what it is you want them to do.  Set clear and objective goals.  Let them know exactly what you want.  Do not just say something like, “Don’t worry about it, I’m sure you will be able to figure it out.”  Ask questions, watch the work performed, or have the employee give you feedback to make sure your instructions were understood.

4. Get the agreement and commitment of the employee.  You want them to commit to you that they will perform the duties to the best of their abilities.  If they are overwhelmed, or if they are already working on previously delegated tasks, chances are the project wont get the attention it deserves.  You will also be stressing out the employee.

5. Give the person the authority to take control of the whole project.  This will show you trust the individual and not look as though you just dumped all of the work on them, yet take the credit.  They should be able to attend meetings associated with the project even when upper management is involved.  Make sure you stand by the person and their decisions.  Also make sure they use their authority wisely and not abuse the power given.

6. Determine what tasks will need more monitoring than others.  It is up to you to determine the strengths and who can get the job done quickly.  The good news about delegation is having someone you trust do the work, however, you are still held accountable for the outcome.  Give a deadline when you expect the project or task to be completed.  Set up a daily or weekly meeting to review if you feel it’s needed.  Whatever you do, do not micromanage and watch over the employees shoulder every few minutes.  You need to let them make, and correct, mistakes.  It‘s all about balance.  Give them the space to be able to utilize their abilities to the best effect, while still monitoring and supporting closely enough to ensure that the job is done correctly.  It is also their responsibility to report to you on the progress of the project.  You should not have to ask for updates.

7. Motivate them by discussing how the success of the project will make a positive impact.  The positive impact refers to the company and to themselves.  Let them know that what they are doing is truly important, and that they will be recognized for a job well done.  This will help build commitment to the project as well.

8. Once the project or task is completed, carefully review.  Make sure all was done correctly and to your satisfaction.  If you accept incomplete work or a lack of effort, you will be hurting yourself and the employee.  They will not learn, and you will always get the same results.  It might take some extra time upfront, but the reward is a better future.  Be sure to praise, when praise is due, when the job is completed up to standards.  The easiest and simplest reward to give is a compliment to the completed delegated work.  You both walk away feeling good and satisfied about the accomplishment. 

Here are three different possibilities to consider, before a task or project is considered complete:

·     Do you need to make the final decision that the task is completed?  The employee reports to you when the task is finished and you decide whether or not it is completed.

·     Do you need to review with the employee and the two of you decide that the task is completed?  The employee reports to you before making the final action to finish the task, which then is considered completed. 

·     Do you let the employee make the decision that the task is completed?  The employee just lets you know that the task is finished and has decided that it is completed.

The levels of delegation needs to be understood by all in the same way when setting clear goals and objectives.  Also, when you delegate, try not to always pick the same person.  Spread it around to those who show interest.  If you have your eye on someone to promote, delegating to that person is a win/win situation.  Just be careful that you do not show favoritism as you could run into Human Resource issues.

By implementing the points given, you will be able to confidently delegate with successful results.

Multitask and Prioritize

Unless you’re managing just one or two people, it’s inevitable that you will be involved with many issues and tasks all at once.  Some need immediate attention, while others are less important.  Multitasking is about knowing how to juggle several issues or tasks at once.  Prioritizing is about knowing which of the issues or tasks are the most important and need to get done first.  You need to be able to combine multitasking and prioritizing expertly.  This is a bit of an art, but it can be learned. 

Even though the pressure might be on, you always need to keep a cool head.  The saying, “Never let them see you sweat,” is perfect when it comes to multitasking.  Exude a sense of calm and control.  This is a show of strong leadership.

Here are six ways to help you with everyday multitasking:

1. Delegating, as previously described, comes into play the most when multitasking and prioritizing.  Without delegation, proper multitasking would be almost impossible.  Make sure tasked priorities are shared with your team.  They will want to see the project succeed as long as they know the goal.  

2. Chart it out on the whiteboard and make a list of the tasks and its importance.  Separate the tasks into three groups:

1. Group 1 needs to be done immediately or at least by the end of the day. 

2. Group 2 would need to be completed in the next couple of days.

3. Group 3 would need to be completed in the next week or month.  Just make sure you never lose sight or put the tasks from group 3 on the back burner for too long. 

The point here is to not only make a list of tasks, but to schedule based on importance rather than just having a “to do” list.

3. Focus on the critical items.  Postpone current tasks if needed, and put full attention on the critical task.  Sometimes you need to make the right decisions like canceling a meeting in order to get the task completed in time.  A good leader can adapt to changes and break routine in order to address the issues at hand.

4. Work smarter, not harder.  This cliché works well when it comes to multitasking.  This basically means reducing or eliminating redundancy by improving workflow.  This thought should be used for all aspects of your department including processes and procedures.  Utilize tools that are in place to reduce the time spent on each task, thus reducing the amount of open tasks on your plate.  Use automation whenever you can to reduce time and redundancy.  It is worth the investment to develop automated tools, especially if most of the tasks are regular and in common.  This can include how you set up your e-mail such as utilizing task manager in Outlook.

5. Set a part of the day to focus on the “non-informational” tasks.  This would mean turning off instant messaging, close your e-mail, and only answer calls when absolutely necessary.  Part of multi-tasking is knowing what tasks you do not need to do such as real time response to all e-mails, always on your IM, etc.

6. Make multitasking a game, and try to keep your mind as clear as possible with the tasks at hand.  Instead of letting it get to you, try and make it fun and challenging.  The quicker you accept you have to “do more with less,” the easier it gets to get on with the task at hand.

Try and stay motivated and not lose sight of the big picture.  Know when to pay close attention to detail, and when to take short cuts.

Keeping Stress under control

Stress is inevitable.  It happens at home as well as at work.  No matter how well things are going, there will always be some problems that come your way.  As a manager, you might find yourself trying to cope with staffing shortages, recent layoffs, too many errors, missing goals, newly added goals, turnover in senior administration, etc.  If you’re new to the job, you will have enough stress with learning the ropes let alone all of the other possible contributing factors. 

Stress cannot be avoided and you cannot always control what happens, but how you react to the situation can make all the difference in the world.  That’s the secret to keeping stress under control.  You need to know the cause of stress, how it affects you, and how to adapt.  Here are 12 ways to help adapt to stressful situations:

1. Know your trigger points.  Think about the most common trigger points that get you stressed.  For example: 

·         Is it when you are going into a meeting?  If so, take the time to be well prepared so that you can have confidence when going into the meeting. 

·         Is it when you are not making your numbers?  If so, get with your top people and figure out how you are going to correct the situation. 

·         Is it because of poor employee attendance?  If so, let your staff (or just the offending employee) know that you recognize the problem and will be keeping a close eye on future attendance issues.

·         Is it when you lose focus on a particular project?  If so, change the scene for a while and focus on another project or task.  When you come back to the original project, you will have a renewed focus.

·         Is it when you have too much coffee or cola?  If so, only have one cup of coffee in the morning and one coffee or cola in the afternoon.  Caffeine can help trigger stress.

The point here is for you to figure out and recognize your hot spots so that you can take the necessary steps to reduce or eliminate the problem situation.  When you see it coming, quickly focus on a calming scene like relaxing at the beach or being with your family, and most importantly, stay cool.  Always deal with stressful situations in a calm, yet controlling matter.  Be professional and do not run away from the situation.  Play the part of a wise and calm leader, and never let them see you sweat.  Always give the impression that you have everything under control.  Losing your cool and control will only add to the stress that is already there.  When you’re under stress you will start panicking and talking too fast.  When you see stress coming your way, control the panic and slow down your talking.  This will instill calm to those around you.  If you’re not losing your head, they wont either.

2. Stop and take a deep breath.  A common response to stress is shallow breathing.  Breathing shallowly deprives the body of adequate oxygen and will prevent you from thinking clearly and functioning properly.  The next time you feel stressed, try these breathing techniques:

·         Take 2 or 3 deep breaths – in through your nose and out through your mouth.

·         Press the side of one nostril with your finger, breathe in slowly and deeply through the other open nostril, and hold it for a one second.  Release your finger and use a finger from your opposite hand to press the side of the opposite nostril and slowly let out all of the air through the previously closed nostril.  Now do it in reverse.  Do this exercise 2 times.

Your body will respond with reduced muscle tension, lower blood pressure and a slower heart rate.  These are very calming breathing exercises.

3. Time management.  Using your time efficiently will reduce stress.  Set and prioritize your daily objectives.  Concentrate on what is important to you and set aside the less important issues.  There will be a more in-depth discussion regarding time management in the following section of this lesson.
4. Reduce the stress by dissecting the issue.  Calmly break down the elements that are causing the stress into a couple of manageable parts.  Get some help from your team members or co-managers when needed. 
5. Take a break and take a walk.   Exercise plays a key role in reducing and preventing the effects of stress.  It can help to relax muscle tension and improve sleep.  When stress is at its peak, get up and move.  Take a walk around the parking lot, get a glass of water, or do some stretches at your desk. 
6. Laugh more often and lighten up.  The old saying, “Laughter is the best medicine,” is especially true regarding stress.  Laughter helps reduce stress by releasing endorphins into your body that can lower your blood pressure, stimulate your brain, release tight muscles, change your emotional outlook and thinking, and increase your oxygen intake.  
7. Make some Feng Shui type of changes in your office or cubical.  A few changes such as less lighting and adding plants can help keep you calmer.  Include items that can help your mind and alleviate stress like a favorite CD, picture, quote or poem.
8. Keep a notepad and a pen by your side at all times.  This will allow you to jot down notes, appointments, and deadlines for work assignments.  Keeping notes of all expectations helps you plan more properly and stay more organized, which helps reduce stress.
9. Take care of your health.  Try to get at least eight hours of good sleep every night.  Eat properly to provide your body with the essential nutrients for living a healthy life.  Exercise at least 20 minutes a day.  This is obviously good for your health and will also help you during stressful situations.
10. Talk it out with your family or friends.  Talking to family or friends helps you to vent and relieve tension.  They may even come up with a solution to the problem that is causing you so much stress.  This also helps put things into perspective.  Sometimes just talking about the problem makes you realize it’s not that big of a problem after all.
11. Find a hobby and do more fun things outside of work.  The more you relax outside of work, the more you will be able to adapt to the stressful situations inside of work.  Try to find time to relax with your family and friends.
12. Keep a positive attitude.   A negative attitude can have a negative impact on accomplishing your goals.  Keeping a positive outlook can give you the energy and momentum you need to get through the workday.  Your positive attitude is contagious.  The same can be said for a negative attitude.  Don’t walk around with a frown, have a smile on your face.  When your staff sees you as a positive leader who has everything under control during a stressful situation, they will be instilled with confidence.  Focus on the positives of the big picture so that you can fix the smaller negative problems.  Also, try to stay away from any negative situations such as gossiping.
     

By following these tips, you can lessen the amount of stress at work and improve your health.

The good news for new managers is that what is considered stressful early in your career, will seem trivial once you have some experience under your belt.  All new managers get stressed out with their new job responsibilities, but it will get better.  Just remember to have confidence in your abilities.

You also need to make sure your employees are not stressed.  By utilizing the structure and teamwork philosophies taught in lesson 3, your staff should be relatively stress free.  You should still keep an eye on your employees to make sure they are not stressed out too much.  The less stressed they are, the less stressed you will be.  If you see signs of bad attitudes, back stabbing, work areas in disarray, absenteeism, high attrition, a feeling of fear, and just an overall look of stress on their faces, hold a meeting with your staff as soon as possible and address the issues.  The two questions to ask are, “What’s wrong with the department,” and, “what can we do to fix it?”  Focus on the matter at hand and make sure you set the ground rules of no personal attacks.  Express that you all want the same thing, which is to work in a positive stress free atmosphere.  Listen to what everyone has to say, write down all of the points brought up, and don’t stop pursuing the issue until you have an answer to the problem.  Make sure you close the meeting on a positive note.

Time Management 

Part of being a successful manager is to know how to manage your time, as the demands on your time will increase.  You can be sure that just when you are at your busiest, a 2-hour meeting is scheduled, or you might be ready to work on a process and realize you need to join a conference call.   These types of conflicting duties will happen, and quite often.

You need larger blocks of time so you can concentrate on writing the process, meet with you staff without feeling rushed, or attend the conference call and give your full attention.  You can’t expect to write a process that will take a couple of hours, if not days, and expect to do it in 10-minute increments.  It will drive you crazy and you will lose focus.

Here are 15 ways that can help you manage your time and make the most of your day:

1.      Start your day off right.  Arrive a little early to work, get your coffee or tea, get into your office and immediately:

• Make sure all e-mails have been answered or sent.

• Look at your calendar to see what meetings are scheduled so you can work around them.

• Determine the best time to take your lunch break.

• Reflect on what needs to be done and write out a list of every task that comes to mind.  Put a line through each completed task with assurance.  If it was not done that day, carry it over to the next days list.  This list process drives you to incorporate your company’s goals into your daily work, helping you to stay efficient and on strategy.  Use the same notepad for meetings so you can add to it as needed. 

By implementing these tasks, which should take around 30 minutes, you will already be starting the day with the right focus.  This can be considered your quiet time to get yourself settled.  It will also reduce stress and clear your mind so you can be ready for the day ahead.

2.      Set clear expectations of the goals.  This helps in time management due to everyone, including you, knows exactly what needs to be done.  This way, you do not waste time always trying to establish what needs to be done.

3.      When you are holding a meeting, stick to the agenda.  Try not to go over the allotted time.  You not only hold up other people, you’re interfering with your own time management.

4.      Delegating helps time management the most.  The more you delegate, the less interruptions and multitasking worries. 

5.      Give members of your team more responsibility.   For example, if you have a member of your team represent your department at a meeting, you will have just given yourself some more time.   You will also be showing confidence in your employees, which will increase morale.  Don’t make a habit out of it, just do this every now and then.

6.      Make sure your previous responsibilities have been 100% taken over.  For example, if you have just been promoted, you should not have to worry about what you used to do.  You have enough on your plate, let alone getting calls throughout the day asking questions on old responsibilities.  You can help out for the first couple of weeks, but then you have to let go.

7.      Even though you have an open door policy…  If you feel a one-on-one meeting might go on for some time, state that you really want to continue the discussion and in order to give your full undivided attention, you would like to schedule another meeting to further discuss.  

8.      Whenever possible, start and finish a project or task in one session.  You can immediately erase it from your list and have a sense of accomplishment.  The more half-open projects you have going on at once, the more haphazardly the approach, along with additional stress.

9.      Read over reports and important materials while away from the office.  Do this during your lunch break, in a cab, in the waiting room, and especially when traveling by plane or train.  You can get in a lot of good study time during these “away from the office” periods.  Also, some of your best ideas might come to mind when you are away from the office.  That is why it is always good to have a pen and paper ready to use at any moment.

10.  Organize your computer files and folders.  A lot of time is wasted looking for files, not to mention it adds stress.  Take the time to put the right file in the right folder and keep it that way.  Also clean up your desktop from both your computer and physical desk.  A clear desk helps in creating a clear and focused mind.

11.  Keep a pen and paper near your bed.  You will find that many ideas and solutions come to you right before bed, and sometimes even in the middle of the night.  Write down these ideas and go back to sleep.  You will not regret it.  There might even be times when you can send out an e-mail in the middle of the night.  Not only will it be effective, it will show people just how much you care and are willing to do to run an efficient department.  They will notice the time the e-mail was sent…  This will help manage your time because you will start the day off with a true focus.  Your mind will be clear and will end up saving you precious minutes, if not hours, in the office.

12.  Again, as stated in multitasking, work smarter, not harder.  Find ways to reduce time when working on a project.  For example, if you are creating a flow chart using a word processing application instead of a program like Visio, it will take much longer to complete, not to mention it wont look as good.  Try to utilize the best tools for the job such as using Outlook to schedule your time, not just for the day, but also for the week.

13.  Don’t be afraid to say “no” to your boss.   When you have enough on your plate as it is, sometimes the best thing to do is just say no.  Don’t state it in a defiant way, just let your boss know about your current projects and if you were to take on a new request, it would put you behind.  If this request is a priority, then by all means do it.  If all of your workload is priority one, maybe this request can go to someone else without it looking as though you did not want to help.

14.  Politely let a friend or family member know you will get back to them as soon as possible.  Unless it is important, don’t take time away from an important task on a non-work related issue.  They will understand and even respect you, just make sure you do it in a polite way and truly get back to them when you can.

15.  “Under promise and over deliver.”  Although this has already been stated, it is important enough to state it again.  You can manage your time much better if upper management is not waiting on a project that you promised, but could not keep.

Always look at ways to utilize your time more effectively.  Try to eliminate waste whenever possible.  Examples of wasted time would be time spent procrastinating, web surfing, or too much socializing.  If you find yourself taking a lot of time on the same type of task daily, there might be a chance you can delegate, work smarter, or even eliminate the task (e.g. does the statistic that takes an hour to formulate really matter?).

Time managing a project can vary.  Project management can be as simple as putting the tasks in order to prepare for a release of a new product, or as complicated as the construction of a 20 story building.  If for example you have a project to get your staff trained on a new product, you first need to:

·         Determine what needs to be trained.

·         Determine when the training should take place.

·         Determine where the training should take place.

·         Determine how long the training should last.

·         Determine the amount of people who need to take the training.

·         Determine how many people you can afford to take the training without losing production.

·         Determine how many people can be trained without affecting the customer’s immediate needs.

·         Determine the cost of the training and materials.

True Project Management, such as construction work, is another course in itself.  However, the basics for all projects are the same: Resources, Time and Money.  We will discuss some of the basic tools to use for managing a project in lesson 9.

Problem Solving and Decision Making

Much of what managers do is solve problems and make decisions.  Decision-making is a key role of a manager and leader.  Some managers find this to be one of the most difficult tasks to perform.  They have a fear of failure, and procrastinate mainly because they have a lack of a structured approach.  One of two things usually happens, they either put off making the decision in the hopes that someone else will bail them out, or even worse, make a decision using a knee jerk reaction.

It is best to think of making a decision, as drawing a line between two points.  If you can’t draw a straight line between the two points, then that decision should most likely be rejected.  When the line goes off into tangents, there might not be a realistic link between the proposed action and outcome. 

New managers often try to solve problems and make decisions by reacting to them before they fully understand all of the possible factors.  They feel that the quickness of a decision is more important than the long-term outcome.  There are times when a quick decision is needed, such as dealing with a violent act in the workplace.  However, most decisions are not needed immediately and you do in fact have the time to make the right decision.  That is the key, making the right decision.  Just be careful to not let decisions accumulate, or else you will have a backlog of both small and complex decisions to make.  You need to find the perfect balance of knowing when to make quick and easy decisions on the fly, and when to take time with the complex decisions. 

Don’t be afraid to talk to your boss or upper management about major problems or needs that concern you.  You do not want to be known as a manager who “keeps secrets” because you are scared of the possible repercussions.  It is better to be upfront and honest, while at the same time showing you are diligently working on the resolution.  You may even find yourself working with other department managers to rectify issues affecting your department.  There is nothing wrong with this as it shows your commitment to your department and the company.

Define the problem or need before you make the decision.  Ask yourself, and others if needed, the following who, what, when, where, how and why type of questions.  In lesson 9 we will discuss cost-benefit and task management tools, however, here are 12 steps to follow to use as a guideline when making important decisions:

1. Who should make the decision?  First of all, you might be looking at a problem or need that is not your decision to make.  Be sure you are not stepping on anyone’s toes, even though your heart is in the right place.  If you are the one to make the decision, go to the next step.

2. What makes you think there is a problem, or why the need?  Before you can start to make any decisions, you need to be absolutely clear the problem or need is valid.  Make sure you consider those who will be affected by the decision.  Talk to some key staff members to make sure you and your staff fully understands the nature of the problem or need.  You want people who will speak up, are efficient, take necessary risks, have somewhat opposing views, and are strongly motivated.  There are times when it seems like the problem or need comes at you like “the sky is falling,” but when you take the time to truly investigate the problem or need, you might find it is overly exaggerated.  This happens quite often as emotions take over logic.  For instance, is it one person complaining about a particular situation or does everyone feel the same way?  Is there a common complaint from your customers or just one or two disgruntled people who will never be happy?  Is there a common trend or is it just speculation?  Do you really need to invest in a new database or can you work with what you’ve got?  Dig deep to find if there is a true problem, and then start on finding ways to improve.  You don’t want to fix something that is not broke.  If you indeed suspect there is a problem, follow steps 3 through 12:

3. Where is the problem or need?  Is it internal or external?  Is it in your department or somewhere else?  Is it only in certain areas of your network?  Is it one employee or the whole group?  You need to know where the problem or need lies before you can begin to make the right decision to fix or buy.

4. When is it happening or needed?  Is it certain parts of the day?  Is it when there is over usage?  Is it when shifts overlap?  Is it always at the end of the month?  Is it every time there is a new software release?  By pinpointing when the problem happens, it helps greatly in detecting the root cause of the issue.

5. What is causing the problem or need?  Is the problem process related?  A lack of training?  Old and slow computers causing longer handle times, which in turn is affecting customer satisfaction?  Are there not enough employees to handle the amount of calls?  Is it a design or engineering flaw?  Is it quality control issues?  You need to get with key staff members to truly determine the root cause of the issue.  Determining you have a problem is useless if you, or another department, cannot find the cause. 

6. How complex is the problem or need?  The more complex the problem or need, the deeper you will have to dig.  Don’t be afraid to go back to the drawing board until you are fully confident with the choices you have made. 

7. What is the urgency and how should you prioritize?  Some problems are more important than others.  You would not want to work on a complex minor issue when you have an easy major issue that should be dealt with immediately. 

8. What is the ideal outcome?  When you are faced with a big decision, it is easy to get lost in the detail and circumstances.  Write a list of pros and cons, advantages and disadvantages, and short term and long-term goals to make sure the outcome has the desired effect.  Think about the objectives, alternatives, and risks.  You need to be absolutely clear on exactly what it is you are expecting to achieve.  Review the facts at hand then absorb them into your subconscious mind.  Let these thoughts simmer for a while before going to the next step.

9. What are the possible solutions to the problem or need?  Brainstorm with your key staff members for solutions to the problem or need, unless you are dealing with a confidential or personal issue.  Note all of the ideas and alternatives on your whiteboard and then screen out the top solutions.  Go over the pros and cons once again with everyone.  Know the cost and risk associated with each alternative, and then be prepared to decide on what it is you are going to do.

10. Make the final decision.  You should now know the direction you are going to take.  Commit to your final choice or course of action.  Recognize that you cannot know with 100% certainty that your decision is correct.  You can’t predict the future, but you can do everything possible to assess the problems or needs along with the benefits and risks.  So make the decision, don’t worry about the “what ifs,” and don't look back.  Do not prolong or deliberate about the decision any more.  Trust yourself to make the decision.  You will be able to deal with any consequences appropriately and with confidence because you did your homework.

11. Plan and implement the final decision.  Now that you have decided on what you are going to do, you need to determine how and when you will make it happen.  Be realistic in your approach.  Can you accomplish the task now?  Do you have the resources?  Is it in your immediate budget?  Are there any time constraints?  Do you have the facilities?  What steps need to be taken?  What systems or processes should be changed in your organization?  Once you have a plan and know how to implement the solution to the problem or need, it is time to put the plan into effect.  Write a schedule that includes the start and stop times, and when you expect to see certain indicators of success.  If you are delegating the task, make sure the person realizes they are responsible for ensuring the implementation of the plan.  Make sure the plan is communicated to all involved, including your boss and upper management if needed.

12. Monitor and verify whether the problem or need has been solved and/or is effective.  It is a good idea to set up daily or weekly meetings to make sure all is well.  Make sure all is going according to plan and is on schedule.  You can then move to monthly meetings until you are 100% the problem or need has been solved.  You will find out very soon how successful you are by checking reports, surveys, comments made in meetings, and whether there is any tension in the air.  Use this opportunity to learn how to avoid future related problems.  If you are still having problems, or your expectations have not been met, call in your key players again.  Look at whether the plan was unrealistic, if you had the right resources, was it communicated enough, and did you prioritized correctly.  If needed, the plan should be changed.  Go through the steps again until you fully resolve the issue and find the exact solution.

A short story about delegating

When John first started out as manager, he thought that he needed to prove to everyone that he could do it all.  After all, he was promoted because of his great attitude and technical abilities, so he wanted to make sure everyone knew he was deserving of this promotion.  What John soon found out was, in his old job he only had to focus on one particular project at a time, rather than having to juggle five projects all at once.  He also found that he was not providing the needed direction to his staff because he was so busy working on all of these projects.  John was getting stressed out and also knew he needed to let go of some, if not all, of his old responsibilities.

John stopped what he was doing, listed all of the projects on his whiteboard, and prioritized them based on what needed immediate attention and what could wait.  He then thought about whom in his staff could do these projects.  He had a talented staff, but he would still have to go over the project details and the timeframe.  He met with a couple of employees, one of which was a supervisor, another who was really good at documentation, and another who had technical expertise.  To John’s surprise, these individuals were excited and needed little coaching.  He made it a point to not look over their shoulder, and had to trust that they would keep him updated and do the projects correctly.  John had set up a couple of status meetings in advance so that he could discuss the progress of each project.   The good news was that every project, with just a little coaching, went smoothly and was completed on time.

What John found out was, not only did they do the projects well, it actually motivated these employees.  The more comfortable John was in delegating, the more inspiring he became.  He realized that his employees expected him to delegate.  He looked weak and inefficient when he did not delegate projects and tasks to his staff.  Employees started approaching John more and more because they knew that he was willing to listen, and was willing to give projects to employees he trusted would do a good job.  They knew that he truly wanted the best from his team and department.  The best thing of all, John’s stress levels decreased, he was able to multitask more efficiently due to staff that could help, and he was able to better manage his time due to the decrease in workload.  He was now able to focus more on everyday managerial type of responsibilities.  He started looking more like a manager who was a leader, rather than a manager who did all the tasks.

Epilogue:  In management, there are so many win/win opportunities.  Delegating is one of the most valuable of these types of opportunities.  It not only takes projects and tasks off of the managers already full plate, it gives a chance for employees to shine.  If a manager does not delegate, more stress, multitasking problems, and ineffective management of time is inevitable.  Employees also do not get a chance to shine and grow, thus morale weakens.  Delegate with authority, confidence, and setting clear goals and expectations, and you will be on the road to success.

Quick Lesson Summary

• A sign of a good leader is how they are able to delegate.  You need to get the work done through others.  Don’t feel like you are passing the buck.  This is expected of you as a Manager.  It is vital that you let your staff take on most of the tasks, projects, etc.  You get power when you give power.  You need to set clear goals and expectations of the delegated project, and know when a task or project is considered complete.  If you can answer yes to these next three questions, you should always try to delegate: 

• Can this project or task be delegated?
• Should it be delegated?
• Do you have enough time to delegate the job effectively?

• Make multitasking more of a game rather than a burden.  Chart the tasks out on a whiteboard along with its importance.  Separate the tasks into three groups:  Group 1 needs to be done as soon as possible, Group 2 to be completed in the next couple of days, and Group 3 completed in the next week or month (just do not forget about them).

• Although stress cannot be avoided and you cannot always control what happens, your reaction to stress can make the difference on how it affects you.  Know your trigger points and hot spots, always stay positive and in control, and implement de-stressing techniques when stress is building, such as deep breathing, taking a walk, or delegating.  You should also keep an eye on your employees to make sure they are not stressed.  The less stressed they are, the less stressed you will be. 

• Always look at ways to utilize your time more effectively.  Time management is key to keeping all on your plate under control.  Delegate whenever possible, try to stick to the agenda during meetings, get to work a little early to address all e-mails and pressing issues, be more organized, go over reports at lunch or even on a plane, and always focus on ways to work smarter, not harder.  If a time consuming daily or weekly task is really not needed, eliminate it.

• Problem solving and making decisions is one of the most important aspects of management.  You should not make quick decisions with uncertainty; however, you should not let problems or needs accumulate for too long before deciding what to do next.  Get others involved to help brainstorm.  Find out the, who, what, when, where, how and why reasons the problem or need exists.  Chart out all of the alternatives, stick to your choice with confidence, and implement the plan as soon as possible.  Monitor the results until you are satisfied all is fixed, or meets your expectations.