Description

When telling people what we need done, how do we strike the balance between being overly prescriptive, and recklessly lax? How can we be sure what we want in the beginning will be what we get at the end?  A story I read recently involving a frozen lake, a pack of wolves, and a canoe full of beer can serve as a helpful guide in helping us master the art of delegation.

Notes and Resources:

• Prefer to read?  Here’s the full post Delegate Better: Three Ways to Get the Results You Want
• This example of poor delegation comes from Farley Mowat’s book Never Cry Wolf.  It is both very amusing, and an eye-opening look at how we can be blinded, often willfully, by our own prejudices.   It was also made into a movie, but I don’t recommend it.
• For a deeper look into the possibility that we may have become micromanagers, check out Micromanagement: 7 Signs You’re a Micromanager and What to Do About It
• This post on Set and Forget Leadership in another take on delegation and how to avoid getting burned when handing off a task to someone else.
   

Quotable: 

“Getting better at delegation means putting more energy into the start of the process.”  - Ken Downer

“Never tell people how to do things.  Tell them what to do and they will surprise you with their ingenuity.”  - General George S. Patton

“Leaders strive to unlock the potential contained between other people’s ears.”  - Ken Downer

Related posts: 

How To Delegate, Part 1: Why?

Delegation, Part 2: What to Delegate?

Delegation, Part 3: Who, How to Delegate?

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Thanks for listening, and Lead On!