Five Ways to Make the Unready, Ready
I often ask leaders, “Who might do some of the things you’re doing?”
It’s not unusual for them to respond, “I’d love to get some things off my plate, but they’re not ready yet.”
They aren’t ready because you haven’t prepared them.
Successful leadership is best seen in the growth of others.
Three reasons they’re “not ready:”
- Arrogance makes you think others aren’t quite good enough. When you’re better than everyone else, no one is quite good enough.
- Your need to be involved propagates un-readiness in others. They’re not ready because you can’t let go.
- You can’t face the possibility that delegating may make things worse, while people learn new skills. Change makes things worse before it makes them better.
Five ways to make the unready, ready:
#1. Determine what “ready” looks like. Answers are often vague, when leaders are asked to explain their expectations. What would they be doing – in behavioral terms – that indicates they’re ready for new roles and responsibilities?
#2. Communicate your expectations in behavioral terms. It’s not enough to say, “I need you to be more responsible, before I give you more authority.” Describe behaviors that indicate they’re more responsible.
- Explore current behaviors that need to improve.
- Describe behaviors that need to stop.
- Define new behaviors.
#3. Evaluate how you have made others “ready” in the last thirty days. Be specific.
#4. Describe what you will do in the next thirty days to prepare someone to take on new authority.
- Training.
- Mentoring.
- Coaching.
- New assignments.
The reason people keep asking for permission is you delegated a task but held on to authority.
#5. Redefine your role, if you succeed in delegating some of your authority. How will you function, if you’re surrounded with people who have permission to act without asking your permission?
Note: One assumption of this post is you have teammates who aspire to take on new authority.
What prevents people from being ready?
How might leaders make the unready, ready?
How might leaders make the unready, ready? I Have chosen many times to let the worker know he can do the task, That I have faith in them, they have proven they can do the task, and reassure them if any issues occur you are their to guide them.
What prevents people from being ready? Leaders who hold the workers back, failure to trust the worker! if you can’t trust them why did we hire them? Individuals are hired to do what they are needed for, if they need trained by all means train them, if they need guidance, guide them, at the same time challenge them too! Don’t “spoon feed them” or they will become dependent, they need to think on their own somewhere along the path.
If I could sum it up to one word I would say empowerment is the key. You must teach but then empower them to act on their own. They must know you trust them to at least try and then just adjust the steering wheel as needed.
Dan the key to have your team ready is to mentor and coach them ahead.
When one of my group was scheduled to make an important presentation on their own I would volunteer to have them preview it with me. If it was to occur in the main Board room we would do the preview there. I would make notes and then meet alone with them and give them very specific feedback on words, timing, gestures etc. After the real meeting I would take them to lunch or coffee and do the same thing. When my company was in a three year financial crisis we had a half dozen of these younger staffers make major presentations. Many of them were promoted a couple times after that. You get ready by doing, with some coaching along the way.
Brad
Brad James, author The Business Zoo
Thank you for hanging my control issues for all to see. I have 3 people in mind that I will be intentional about coaching within the next 30 days; they’re ready. Thank you for the push Dan.
Chef Reggie
I love working as part of a team– and cheerleading when others take on new roles in leadership. One practice I’ve especially enjoyed is turning a task over to someone, providing clear process steps, and asking them to bring another person with them into the task. This allows them to think through the task from a leadership perspective and join in the thrill of seeing others grow, too. And I’m always surprised at the talent they’ve been observing that I might not get a chance to see.
Thanks Dan a common issue indeed.
I think one of the indicators of not readying your team is when we find ourselves doing much the same thing week in and week out (including fighting fires).
A leaders role should be one of constant change and reinvigoration – that’s part of the reason you’re a leader. You can only do this when those reporting to you are dealing both with what needs ‘done’ and also starting to push you for more change/invigoration/ideas and that they are allowed and encouraged to do so.
The old plan do check act cycle still applies but each time it should be something new.
Really like this from this post: “You can’t face the possibility that delegating may make things worse, while people learn new skills. Change makes things worse before it makes them better.” In other words, everyone will make mistakes when expected to be creative / innovative. BUT if those mistakes are seen as learning opportunities leading to growth (rather than negative events), the immense increase in value is realized.
AND, by the way, micro-managing managers (not leaders, as I see it at least) make mistakes too – can’t be avoided!!! Likely adds another responsibility for the manager: covering up or justifying the mistakes to everyone else!!!
I think technical managers are particularly not at ease delegating others. They often are experts and think that the best way to do something is to do by themselves : coaching or mentoring seems to be a waste of time.
The worst reason comes from the fear of losing their technical authority…their power.
I’m used to manage that kind of person and sometimes it drives me crazy !
A good manager, or in my case business owner, will teach employees and encourage them to take on additional responsibility. In all reality, there will come a day when someone will have to carry on for you. Prepare them to do so.
I think that there is a 4th reason why ‘they are not ready’.. That is this – that someone who is ready, can replace the man in the corner room.
The CEO/ boss does not want to lose that aura of invincibility, or the power
This really has helped me look at my current supervisor in a new light. He does not communicate very well nor does he delegate very well. It’s disappointing and sometimes he’s downright rude towards me. I am working on tactics to manage him better. This article has given me some ideas about at least getting him to be more specific when he asks me to do things.