Eric shook his head. He knew he was headed for trouble with his boss. But it wasn’t his fault. He had delegated this important task to Joann. They had a delegation meeting two weeks ago, everything was clear. So what had gone so terribly wrong?

Delegation is not abdication.

Get real. Why would you delegate an important project to a team member and not follow up with them until the very end. What? You like surprises?

When I speak with managers, I find the most often forgotten part of delegation is follow-up. Here’s the question. When a manager fails to follow up, what happens to the importance of any project? It starts high, ends low.

Here’s the problem. Most managers think that one last final touch prior to completion is all that is required. No wonder that managers are gunshy about delegation. One final touch almost guarantees disaster. Interim follow-up is important than final follow-up.

When a manager is working through the delegation meeting, the follow-up steps should already be planned and calendared. Here is what it sounds like.

“Joann, we are working on a very important project, let’s call it the VIP Project. When the project is completed, we expect the following will be completed:

• Phase One in Purple
• Phase Two in Orange
• Phase Three in Blue

Because this project is so important and so complicated, I want to have two follow-up meetings for each phase of the project. The deadline is four weeks from now. Let’s schedule the first follow-up meeting for next Wednesday on Phase One. You should be able to complete the rest of Phase One plus make any changes by next Friday. Let’s follow that same pattern the following week. Wednesday and Friday for Phase Two. The following week Wednesday and Friday on Phase Three. That should complete all the baseline performance. Week Four, let’s continue the same Wednesday and Friday to tweak additional items.

Each meeting, let’s review publishable copies. I know we will be changing them, but please bring publishable copies to the meeting.”

Questions:

• Will changes be made at each meeting?
• Should revised drafts be submitted at each subsequent meeting?
• Will the work product improve from the first meeting to the last meeting?
• How much preparation is required for the manager prior to each meeting?
• How much preparation is required for the team member prior to each meeting?

If you review the questions carefully, you will notice that, even though there may be six or more meetings required for interim follow-up, the managers time is far less than the team member’s time. The team member is doing all the work. The most important element is that there are no surprises. Instead of waiting for four weeks to be disappointed, the manager knows how the project is going within the first week. Mid-course corrections can easily be implemented and reviewed because they occur much earlier in the delegation cycle.

When is the best time to schedule the follow-up sessions? Right up front, in the very first meeting. Follow-up becomes part of the overall expectation of the performance.

What is hard now is easier later. What is easier now is hard later. Do it now, the earlier the better. Don’t be surprised. –TF

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