Three styles that take you there
Paul Thornton believes successful managers practice and master three core management styles.
Directing — Discussing — Delegating
Directing includes defining deliverables, establishing timelines, and explaining how you want something done.
Vague directions produce vague results.
Direction requires organization before employees are approached.
Discussing requires good questions and listening skills. Ask questions to gather input, engage others, and create buy in. The quality of your questions determines the quality of the input you recieve.
Avoid questions that begin with, “Don’t you think we should…”
Ask questions when plans and goals aren’t set yet.
Don’t ask questions if you don’t want answers.
Ask general questions first and specific questions later. In addition, specific questions often open the door to more general questions that lead to more specific questions.
I think it’s best to begin with “what” questions and move to “who, how, and when,” questions.
Discussion includes others in the organization process.
Delegating includes defining deliverables and timelines but not explaining how to get things done. Delegating may be as simple as saying, “Handle it,” to an experienced, reliable, and trustworthy employee.
Good examples enhance and accelerate the delegation process.
Delegating leaves most of the organizational work to others.
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The genesis of this post was the arrival of, “Leadership Off the Wall,” by Paul Thornton, professor of Business Administration at Springfield Technical Community College, Springfield, MA.
His short book of quotes and sayings that hang on leader’s walls intrigued me so I gave him a call. We chatted briefly about quotes and sayings but moved quickly to a discussion of management styles. This post reflects my recollection of the insights Paul shared during our invigorating conversation.
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What tips can you share about directing, discussing, and/or delegating?
Dear Dan,
Very True about directing, discussing, and delegating. I also believe that CUA complements it. CUA means clarity, unity and agility as mentioned in previous post. Directing with clarity of goals, Discussing in unity and taking decisions in unity, delegating with agility. Delegation with agility means, people should know where and when to take appropriate decision. Delegation is not a direction but a decision to use our moral compass. I agree that while delegating, leader should not insist on how. “How” part should be taken care by delegated person. I agree that leader should start with simple question and strategic question. Questioning is a technique that opens options and questions. Right question awakens and makes one aware about the area not thought of before.
I believe that before directing, discussing and delegating, leader should have experienced it. Experience will make 3 Ds more practical and focused. So, Sensitivity to understand others needs, expectations; sensibility to understand our boundary and maturity to apply decisions will surely take three style where you want to go.
Dear Ajay,
Thank you for sharing your insights.
The way you connect CUA (clarity, unity, and agility) to Directing, Discussing and Delegating is masterful. I really appreciate the addition of these idea.
I’m glad you stopped in.
Best,
Dan
Ajay is a featured contributor on Leadership Freak. YOu can read his bio at http://leadershipfreak.wordpress.com/ajay-gupta
Good point about ‘how Ajay…if doing the ‘how’ you are micromanaging and negating the 3 Ds.
I love this post Dan — especially for first time managers. If they start out right, it breeds great success at multiple levels (including their long term career).
My favorite in this post is on the “Discussing” point:
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Avoid questions that begin with, “Don’t you think we should…”
Don’t ask questions if you don’t want answers.
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When managers say “Don’t you think we should …” or ask questions they don’t want to explore it sets up the old stereotype “yes man” relationship. It has a terrible and long lasting affect on morale and performance.
Put them on the taboo list along with micromanagement. They are all morale killers.
Replace with open ended questions and great listening that spur team member commitment and contribution.
Great post to start the week. Have a super one LeadershipFreak!
Kate Nasser
I liked your first point particularly Kate, ‘breeds great success at multiple levels…’ Very good leaders keep that perspective, that long term individual career emphasis and long term success of the organization aligned and periodically may need to point that line of sight out. Again, another legacy variation.
The ‘Don’t you think we should…’ question might lead to another whole thread on questions that leaders need to banish from their repertoire.
Doc,
I’m so glad to see you encouraging others with your comments. You encourage me.
Cheers,
Dan
Doc, The list of things for leaders to banish from their vocabulary sounds like a great post. Hmmm…
Kate,
Thank you for your encouraging words.
Good call on bringing morale into the discussion. Good managers build morale and poor managers destroy good morale. I think listening is one of the great morale builders.
If we feel listened to we usually jump in and pull our weight even if we disagree with the final decisions.
Best regards,
Dan
Kate is a featured contributor on Leadership Freak. Read her bio at: http://leadershipfreak.wordpress.com/kate-nasser
The “D” word that sticks out the most to me today (of these options) is “discussing.” In the business arena (home arena too, actually), many “discussions” aren’t discussions in the truest sense of the word – they are exchanges of information but are frequently really a “one way” communication in the guise of an equitable exchange. The Executive Director I had the longest has a very strong personality – there was a significant “walking on eggshells” component to our corporate environment when she was here. BUT I found that she was receptive to my candid, constructive comments, if I gave her the leeway of finding a time when she could really listen. It seems like the response often came down to her saying, “well, I didn’t intend for my initial comment to come across that way.” The tip I would lend about discussions, then, is to seek out and recognize when the discussion is a true opportunity for a two-way exchange, and keep in mind that whatever has gone before related to the discussion topic may have been an initial reaction, not a statement of a permanent philosophy.
Excellent post! Very good checklist to follow, particularly for new managers. Using the 3 D’s along with ensuring the What, When, How, Why and Where are all followed creates efficiency and clarity.
Look for feedback from team definitely will make sure you are on track with your leadership style and communication correctly.
Thanks for starting week off with very positive approach.
Dan – excellent post. Regarding Discussion and “Don’t you think we should…,” I was taught in coaching school to avoid asking questions that can be answered yes/no. It’s really hard! Try sometime staying in questioning mode for 10 minutes without asking anything that can be answered yes or no. A very fruitful exercise.
Yes/no questions shut down Discussion.
I agree that there is great value in the 3 Ds. I would caution, especially for those newer managers, that these three are not sequential activities.
Directing – Discussing – Delegating, in that order, puts in mind the “Ready – Fire – Aim” analogy.
I believe the Discussion thread is woven throughout the Directing and Delegating activities. You especially need to Discuss before you Direct. Otherwise the discussion isn’t about which activity will best help us achieve our vision, but rather what is the best way to accomplish the activity before us, possibly even counter-productive to our vision.
Also, I think the “who, how, and when” Discussion questions naturally lend themselves to both Directing and Delegating depending on the talents and capabilities of each team member.
Although, there are many leadership experts who suggest that ‘ready, fire’ aim is an excellent approach…Tom Peters specifically comes to mind.
Maybe Dr. Yung Tae Kim as well, but his may be more ‘ready, fire, fire, fire til you learn’. Tae’s focus is on teaching and learning, not too far removed from this thread though. Link:
Very good post: Simple and straightforward to the point.
As always with LF.
Many thanks.
Dan – Thanks for this post. As a first time manager of a pretty substantial sized team this really resonates. I have been reading plenty of thoughts and book on leadership, but this post helps more than most. Summing up thoughts in a quick sentence is just what I need to put those ideas into action. “Vague directions produce vague results”. Perfect!
I know in my case half the battle thus far has been trying to manage myself in my new role. It’s been just over 90 days and I’m staring to turn the corner in putting the team and their needs first.
Thanks for providing such such great insights.
Ryan
At the end of the day, it’s the mix of these styles that will create great team and deliver great result. Leadership should also be situational and humble.