How to be a better leader, hold yourself and others accountable
Delegating and setting accountability is not only about getting things done, it is to develop a great team, enabling team members to become future leaders.
You could be leading an initiative and dependent on others, or a cross-functional team leader in a project. In many cases, even if you have direct reports, you will have to delegate work to others in your team or in other’s.
And often times, you encounter this — the team member is falling behind. How do you communicate in the best possible way, to ensure the tasks are delivered and ensure the member still has the zest to carry forward and finish the task on hand?
Share the enthusiasm, the importance, and your expectation
What is your vision, what is the goal of your overall project, product, or idea? The big picture? You might have a minor task, and you want to delegate it, how does it connect to your overall vision and goal? What is that you are expecting from him/her?
State it out.
Connect the dots, show how their work enables achieving the goal.
It is pertinent that the team member shares your vision for the project and the deliverables. Do ensure that the team member’s manager is on-board even before you talk and delegate to them.
Ensure team member is skilled, and knows how to get it done
Ensure the member knows how to get the information, what tools to use and how to use them. As a leader, it is important to ensure that the team member has the knowledge and skill set to carry out the task to completion. Helping them attain that knowledge is the leader’s responsibility.
A simple question can be — do you know how to get there. This also falls in line with leading by serving. I inadvertently end up using these —
“How can I help you to get this done?”, “Is it clear on how your work ties to the goal?”, “What do you need from me to help you finish this task?”, “Am I missing any detail on what is expected?”.
Even if you do not know the fine details of how to get the task to completion, you should be able to explain where to look for it, how to use certain tools. Knowing the breadth and depth is a key leadership trait.
You can also inform that you would like them to summarize their learning for your own benefit. This will improve the rapport, and also further cement their need in your team.
Is it in their scope? Any potential bottlenecks?
Do not delegate a task which you, yourself, cannot do or influence. You have to ensure the bottlenecks are removed, and the team member has the influence, the access to information to carry out their task.
Conflicting project timelines or an overburdened team member will only result in failure and friction, or, not knowing whom to talk to or how to get to certain information is just going to frustrate the team member. Eliminating bottlenecks is key to your team member’s success.
Give specific feedback
Giving and obtaining feedback is important. Providing feedback aids growth, receiving feedback helps you as a leader. Give specific feedback - on what went well, what could have been better, and if it just didn’t work, say so. Communication both ways will help you and the team to deliver better.
Doing these will set you apart from others.
To summarize
- Share your vision
- Ensure the team member knows how to do it
- Must be in their control
- Provide clear specific feedback
