Ralph had just finished a short meeting with John, a lead technician on one of Ralph’s teams. As Ralph left the room, John began shaking his head. It’s not that Ralph had a bad idea, but his way of going about it was just all wrong… at least that’s what John thought.

Managers get this assignment wrong all the time. Most managers think delegation is so simple that they don’t think. They jump in with both feet, conduct a highly efficient meeting, bark out the marching orders, ask if anyone has any questions (they never do), and adjourn the meeting. As as the manager walks out, the heads shake and the bitching and moaning begins.

So if the manager, in the midst of a delegation assignment, creates the Action Plan, and the delegation fails (due the execution of the Action Plan), who’s fault is it? I will tell you what John thinks. John thinks it’s Ralph’s fault. John is going to follow Ralph’s plan to the letter and when the Action Plan fails, John is going to point to Ralph and say, “It’s your fault, I did exactly what you told me to do.”

Where did Ralph want the accountability? Of course, Ralph wanted the accountability to rest with John. Most managers want the same thing… and that is where all the screaming and yelling starts. The solution to this dilemma is simple… just change one small thing. Ask the team member for an action plan.

At this point, most students of mine start pushing back. “You want me to do, what??? They don’t know what steps to take. I have to tell them what the steps are. No way.”

But if you want the accountability in your team member’s court, ask them to create their own action plan. This simple request firmly establishes that they are responsible for the execution portion of the delegation. This is EXACTLY where you want the accountability.

So, where is the safety net for the Manager? Review the plan for agreement. You see, you don’t have to accept any old thing the team member conjures up. You DO know the ropes better and you DO need to review the plan for agreement. Then, get the team member to sign it and you sign it. (That is the agreement part.)

The subtle difference, that creates a huge difference, is who creates the Action Plan. If the Manager creates it, the team member is off the hook. When the team member creates the Action Plan, that is where accountability lives. Throw down the challenge, ask them for their plan. -TF