Dear Boss: Do you know HOW and

WHEN to cover for someone?

If you’re reading this, my guess is the odds are you find it reassuring to hear that someone’s “got your back!” But let’s get real. That expression means a lot in life-or-death and potentially hazardous situations – no doubt about it! Thankfully, however, most of us are not putting our lives on the line every day as in police, fire and military combat.

So having someone “cover your back” is hardly of value in day-to-day business or family life. For most of us, reality dictates that no one else can really protect your interests except you!

If you want to make sure a job gets done that you are responsible for, either do it yourself or monitor progress to make sure the person you asked to do it, does it! Remember, we can delegate authority to get things done, but we cannot delegate responsibility for getting things done.

Does every assignment or request have to be a leap of faith? No, but until those involved have proven consistently that they can act responsibly, it’s a leap of faith, and how much of a leap depends on the sense of balance, trust, and intuition we practice. And there is no excuse for not checking up, following up, soliciting feedback.

Corporate accountability procedures make delegation slightly easier and more comfortable feeling than handing off tasks tends to be for entrepreneurs and in many family settings . . . and especially in family businesses. Q: When does a delegator step in and take charge, take back, or take over? A: When ultimate responsibility is on the line.

Oh, and not doing something the same way the delegator does something is not grounds for divorce, separation, or interference. In fact, the best leaders are those who see departures from their personal methods and techniques as opportunities to learn – possibly a better way to do something, or gain better input necessary to teach a better way.

But be careful here. “Better” is subjective. “Better” is not always quicker, or more thorough, or more efficient. THIS is one place where knowing when and when not to exercise leadership judgment comes into play.

WHEN DELEGATING – 5 SUGGESTIONS

1) Be observant – Keep things safe!

2) Withhold judgment pending seeing the results, but don’t hesitate to step in if you see evidence of physical, emotional or customer service hazard around the corner.

3) Suggest changes in process carefully and specifically – Criticize behavior or method or technique, NOT THE PERSON – Criticize in private and praise in public!

4) Don’t give a “Got your back!” attitude to someone else. Simply teach by example.  

5) Remember whose ultimate responsibility is on the line!

 # # #

When you attack

a person’s self,

there can be no resolve.

One of life’s hardest lessons for every business owner and every manager is to always criticize behavior, never the person at fault.                                                        

“I don’t like the way you handled that customer and here’s what I suggest . . .” is a lot more productive and easier to swallow than “You moron! Why did you send that customer to our competitor? I can’t believe you’re so stupid!”

The assumption here of course is that because you and/or your business is invested in every employee, it’s important to help keep those investments on track and growing.

Step ONE is to nurture and protect and ensure the individual human being that lives inside the employee facade or uniform. You will never achieve these ends when you are critical of the person.

It is indeed true that this process is not necessarily an easy one, particularly when you may be dealing with a hostile, or relatively incompetent individual, or someone who has just committed a colossal screw-up.

But keep reminding yourself that your behavior –as well as the one you criticize– are both the result of a conscious or unconscious choice.

You can, in other words, choose to make the situation a difficult, stressful and nonproductive one

. . . or choose for the approach and the outcome to produce a win-win for both parties 

But –again– if the employment investment is worth protecting, then you need to bite the bullet, take some deep breaths, and accept that your role must be as a calming influence, a patient and understanding teacher. Hand-holder? No! Warm, fuzzy pardoner? No! But not confrontational either.

Taking the middle road need not be a torturous trek. And, in fact, it can be a learning experience for both you and the person whose behavior you need to address. 

Look at the prospects of confronting some unwanted behavior as the unique opportunity it is to help a valued employee become more valuable and to notch off another credit level on your human relations resume.

Ask not WHY something occurred. Instead, focus the person involved with improving her or his process. Deal with WHAT can be done and keep it specific, and hand the problem-solving back to the problem-creator.

“What three things can you write down for me on  a piece of paper before you go to lunch that you think will be the best steps you can take to avoid this kind of behavior in the future?  

Oh, and keep the ALWAYS RULE in your back pocket: ALWAYS praise worthy employee behavior in public, and ALWAYS criticize unwanted or unworthy employee behavior in private.

Go to great lengths to insure this ALWAYS RULE and you will quickly gain or enhance the kind of reputation that will increase sales and business growth (yes, even in a bad economy!)

 # # #

Hal@BusinessWorks.US  

Thanks for visiting. Go for your goals! God Bless You.

 “The price of freedom is eternal vigilance!” [Thomas Jefferson] 

Make today a GREAT day for someone!

First of all,

DO IT IN PRIVATE!

Public is the place

for praise only!

     There is no career more demanding of thick skin than that of a writer. Because everyone thinks they can write (which is of course a massive misconception), writers live in a breeding ground of rejection and criticism. They learn how to take it in. They learn to not take it personally, to process the thinking behind it, and to make it be constructive.

     But most people in other careers will cry, or bitch, or stomp their foot, or kick the dog, or return with a gun. Unfortunately, many of those who dish it out, rarely concern themselves with sensitivities on the receiving end.

     Business and professional practice owners and managers who believe they are the best at what they do (that’s like what?  99.7%?) tend to have massive egocentric personalities. Many think they know it all. They seldom concern themselves with the feelings of those they criticize. And some simply don’t care what others think or feel.

     The most successful bosses are neither tyrants nor mollycoddlers. They are the ones who save critical comments for behind closed doors, who start and end with sincere compliments, who explain themselves and their rationales, who ask questions about why something was said or done in a way they don’t like (just in case they might possibly be wrong in their assumptions), and then who make a major point of criticizing the behavior involved, not the person involved. 

     Remember that asking someone “Why” something happened is never ever as useful or important as asking “How” something happened — or better yet — “How can we prevent this type of thing from happening in the future?”

     Why not “Why?” Because asking someone “Why?” simply sets up getting an excuse for an answer. “Why were you late again today?” will get you “My car broke down, my dog ate my sock” kinds of replies.  

     Asking “How?” gets you real solutions because it forces an assessment of the process involved in the screw-up. Once we know HOW something went wrong, it’s easier to fix it. “How?” is even more productive when it’s followed by a pointed request such as: “Can you please give me a bullet list by noon (or the end of the day) with the three steps that need to be taken (or that you need to take) that will help us eliminate this problem altogether?”  

Comment below or Hal@BusinessWorks.US Thanks for visiting. Go for your goals! God Bless You! Make it a GREAT Day! Blog emails free via RSS feed, $1/mo Amazon Kindle. GRANDPARENT Gift? http://bit.ly/3nDlGF