When you delegate to yourself, do you hold yourself accountable?
If you are in a position where you delegate to people in your team, is it safe to assume you feel they should be accountable and follow through with the work?
You expect them to do the work agreed, in the time agreed and to a high standard. But how accountable are you with the work you delegate to yourself? What example are you setting?
One of the biggest mistakes I see leaders making when they decide to delegate is that they hand over the tasks they feel are beneath them, or tasks they don’t see as adding value (to themselves).
They then expect others to be excited about taking over responsibility for these tasks.
As leaders, you need to avoid a culture where it’s me versus you
and "do as I say, not as I do."
Accountability is your secret weapon for building a strong team culture
...and it starts with you
The article by Stan Mack, describes working for a boss who is lazy, who delegates their responsibilities rather than pitching in. You know this isn’t you, but perception is a funny beast and what you think your team sees and what they do see may not align. A team who thinks their boss is lazy and delegates everything, is not performing at their best and it’s likely morale is low.
If your team doesn’t see you following through on your commitments, they are less likely to follow through on theirs.
So, what can you do to create a team who feel valued and are being supported to work outside of their comfort zone?
You must delegate effectively
and set the bar for accountability.
Tim Ferris has spent his career learning from the best about the habits that make them successful. We can all benefit from learning how to form habits and design systems around us to help us succeed. The common thread of successful leaders is accountability. They do what they say they will do.
Stephen Covey in his work 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, describes the importance of working to improve our character, not just using tricks and hacks to improve. If you want others to see you as a fair and just leader then you must be a fair and just leader. If you want people to do the work you delegate to them, then you need to do the work you delegate to yourself.
I have previously talked about my ABCD of delegation and the A – ACTION tasks which I delegate to myself and only me.
These tasks may be reactive and when they happen, it’s important that I am the one who deals with them. If you work in a team, this could be issues with a project or a team member. If you are a sole trader, they are often customer facing issues.
In a world of entrepreneurs, the action tasks include creating ideas, talking and selling to customers, building relationships, keeping commitments.
So how do you hold yourself accountable? What are your tips and tricks which mean you are a just and fair leader and not a delegating nightmare?
My favourite ways to design systems and habits for personal accountability at work are:
- Tell the team and set an action item in meeting minutes
- Set measurable goals so I know when we have achieved the goal and can communicate this to myself and the team. If I’m going to design the project plan next week, it won’t happen but if I will have a draft project plan ready to present at the next meeting scheduled on Thursday then it’s going to happen.
- Add agreed timeframes straight into my calendar as reminders and events. I don’t rely on a to-do list to keep me accountable, I have a calendar that keeps reminding me that I have responsibilities.
I used to think that having an accountability partner was important, but I have realised this doesn’t work for me. If it works for you, then add this to your list.
Delegation is a necessary part of a leader’s role and delegation with generosity and in the spirit of relationship building can be a powerful tool for designing strong team cultures.
You need to set the benchmark for accountability. Not so much physician heal thyself but as leader, hold thyself accountable.