When new managers step into their role, there is so much to do, so much to make happen, and so much to learn. On top of all this, they now have people depending on them for their development and growth!

How are these first-time managers going to make all this happen? How are they to remain focused on their own priorities, responsibilities, and to-do’s while simultaneously building the capacity of their team?

Enter delegation.

Perhaps not the sexiest of solves, but by far, the one that will merit them (and those who work with/for them) the best results.

Consider the data: a recent study by Gallup revealed that businesses with leaders who were “high in delegator talent” grew 112 percent faster than those without. If you want to be successful as a manager, learning how to effectively delegate is going to be an essential part of long-term success for you and your team.

John C. Maxwell, prolific leadership author, says, “If you want to do a few small things right, do them yourself. If you want to do great things and make a big impact, learn to delegate.”

He’s absolutely right.

But, here’s where it gets a bit messy: few leaders, let alone new ones, are clear on what delegation actually means, what it looks like, and how to make it happen.

A common misunderstanding among leaders — both new and those who have been managing for decades — is that delegation is about giving away the tasks we don’t want to do.

At Fierce, we call this dele-dumping.

Sure, it’s articulated far differently depending on your place of work. But, the most common one we hear is, “This will be a great development opportunity for you!”

Here’s the thing though… people are not deceived. Direct reports are smart! They are aware that their manager is offloading tasks that are definitely not their favorites.

So yes, the manager or leader has technically “delegated,” but they’ve accomplished little-to-nothing related to improving engagement, bettering relationships, and building emotional capital — which is one of the most important aspects of their job.

So, let’s clear up this misunderstanding by really understanding what delegation is all about: development, development, development. 

Below are three best practices to help train new managers and leaders on how to have successful delegation conversations:

1. Manage to-do lists.

Anthea Turner, British media personality, said, “The first rule of management is delegation. Don’t try and do everything yourself because you can’t.”

She’s right.

But, it’s far easier said than done — especially for new managers. These new leaders are deeply committed to proving their worth, to making sure that their hire or promotion meets and exceeds all expectations.

One of the predominant ways this shows up, to their detriment, is that they are unwilling to let things go — to delegate — to loosen the reins. The risk just feels too great!

As their learning leader, help them out! Sit down with a new manager or leader and ask them to pull out their to-do list. Chances are high they’ve got some things on there that they admittedly love doing, and other things that they’ve determined no one else knows how to do (at least as well as they do).

The next step, no matter how hard this might be, is asking them whether or not this particular item is central to achieving their goals and supporting their team. If their answer is “no,” then it’s no longer the best use of their time.

Yep — no matter how much they love it or how good they are at it.

Now, look at their to-do list with them again. To whom can they delegate some of these things?

If they need a bit more incentive to give up a task they love or believe no one else can do better than themselves, help them do the math.

How much time will they free up if they let someone else take ownership of this particular responsibility? What else can they do with that time? And what would the benefits be if they could devote energy to other priorities?

Remind them of this: Imagine how much more productive (and fulfilled) you will be when you can focus that much time on things that are the best use of you AND meet your goals!

Once you’ve done the above exercise, encourage new managers to schedule intentional conversations with their direct reports. Invite them to set aside time to let their people know that they want to delegate some new responsibilities.

New managers can then ask: “Are you interested in growing in this area?” The goal is to be curious, to ask even more questions, to get a sense of how the direct report want to develop in their role.

When new leaders are reminded (and learn) to really ask and really listen, they’ll begin to see and understand which of their current responsibilities could be better served by delegating them for another’s development. A gift to them — and to others!

2. Create a common language.

When we teach delegation in the Fierce classroom, we use the analogy of a tree to represent four levels of delegation and decision-making authority: leaf, branch, trunk, and root.

At leaf level, there is full autonomy to make decisions and act on them. That autonomy decreases with each level — but not in a pejorative way. Instead, at root level, for example, the manager delegates a responsibility that still needs her/his input and final decision-making expertise.

At trunk, the direct report makes the decision and the implementation plan but checks in with their manager before taking any next steps. And at branch, the direct report makes the decision, implements the plan, and only keeps the manager in the loop.

These levels provide a common language so that there is a mutual understanding of the decision-making process on any given project or responsibility.

Even more, it mitigates what new leaders too often default to as an excuse for not delegating: the delegatee is not quite ready yet.

What if, instead of not delegating at all, a direct report was given the ability to start delegating to others at trunk-level. This would provide the person the autonomy to do the work in a bound amount of time and with the assurance of the manager’s ongoing expertise until they are ready for more.

Above and beyond mitigating risk, shared language maximizes reward. When people are delegated to effectively — and at levels that are unique to them as individuals — they feel seen and heard, engagement and productivity increase, retention goes up, relationships thrive, and the new manager grows and develops in powerful and relevant ways alongside their direct reports.

If you wandered through our office space at Fierce HQ, you’d overhear conversations that take full advantage of this shared language: “Hey, Ronna! Can you take this on at leaf-level?” Or, “Mike, given that this is within your area of passion, I’d love for you to facilitate this project at branch-level.” Or, “Rose, I know this has been given to me at trunk-level and I really feel like I’m ready to have it at branch. Can we talk about that together?”

Because we understand each other and the level of decision-making authority/autonomy being given, we are able to work together in better and more productive ways.

We have successful, productive conversations because we have a vocabulary that everyone knows and speaks. Even more, it provides new leaders with a framework that teaches them how to delegate and develop their people. Truly, it makes all the difference!

3. Help teams partner up.

As a new leader, it can be tempting to want to be the go-to person for everything. It’s a lofty ideal, but completely unsustainable.

One more relevant quote? “As we look ahead into the next century, leaders will be those who empower others.” Bill Gates, founder of Microsoft.

Let’s take his thinking one step further and develop those new leaders even more.

Help new managers understand ways in which their team members can empower each other! Have them create accountability partnerships, triads, or groups that are designed to keep each other on-track with time-management and deadlines.

They can help their people create check-ins with one another and share their progress. At the end of the day, everyone is encouraged, everyone develops, everyone grows. Including that new manager!

Now, let’s return to where we started. Is delegation the sexiest management technique ever?  Nope. But it IS one that goes far deeper than often understood or practiced. We don’t want our new leaders to be deceived by its seeming-simplicity.

Delegation requires intentionality, skill, and persistence. By teaching new managers to use these three best practices, it will free up their time, maximizes their results, and develops their people. That’s being a Fierce leader, to be sure!

In today’s fast-paced environment where innovation is no longer a luxury, it’s no surprise that in my conversations with leaders, the pace of change in organizations and the marketplace is often a focus.

They’re asking questions like: How do I make sure our people have what they need to adapt quicker than ever? What if they fall behind? How do I need to adjust my leadership to make all of the change possible?

One way to ensure that your leaders and teams will succeed is by creating an environment to challenge the status quo. After all, real change starts with you. You must give yourself permission to question the status quo of your organization and invite your team to join you.

Unfortunately, challenging the status quo isn’t something leaders like to do. According to Harvard Business Review, 72 percent of leaders say they never or rarely challenge their status quo, nor do they encourage employees to think outside the box.

If you want to make sure your employees are set up for success and create real, sustainable growth for your organization, you must constantly think about how you can adapt and change. 

Organizations develop a status quo for many reasons. They range from leaders feeling pressured for time, to the struggle to prioritize, to a more systematic issue of an “if it’s not broke, don’t fix it” culture.

WHY THE STATUS QUO IS PROBLEMATIC

It’s important to realize status quo is a bias. It’s a preference that things stay the same. In a sense, it’s an aversion to change. Adhering to this bias is problematic, especially in business, because growth requires change.

Companies and their cultures are living, breathing entities that change with the people who inhabit them. Policies that worked for one generation of employees might fall on deaf ears to the next. Training that was successful for the employees of a mid-size company may no longer be ideal once the organization grows.

Status quo can be comforting because it’s easy —  it doesn’t require us to challenge ourselves or each other. It doesn’t require us to take risks or potentially be wrong with the changes made. Yet, when you follow the status quo, over time, your success will stall because individuals, teams, leaders, and companies will miss out on opportunities for growth, and stagnation becomes the mode of operation.

This is when it’s time to challenge the way it’s been and think about what it can become.

WHAT YOU GAIN FROM SHAKING THINGS UP

Don’t get me wrong, challenging (and changing) the status quo can be scary. It often requires courage and a willingness to go against the grain, while potentially butting heads with others who are less open to new ideas.

Keep in mind that challenging the status quo doesn’t have to mean that something isn’t operating well or that something needs to change. People often have the idea that something has to be wrong before suggesting improvements. Sometimes challenging the status quo simply means proposing a new idea that may be worth exploring — perhaps it’s already great, and is there a way it can be even better?

It’s leadership’s responsibility to create a culture where challenging the status quo is encouraged. Leaders need to have a forward-thinking, growth mindset — a state of mind that doesn’t settle for an attitude of the bare minimum and instead looks to their teams for insights on how things can be improved.

The most successful leaders set out to support new values, policies, and ideas.

A leader also can’t create this kind of culture without action. By asking your team to share their perspectives, you not only build emotional capital with your employees, but you also help build a more productive workforce.

Below are three easy steps to start having these conversations with your team organically so you can start creating something new and say goodbye to your status quo:

1. Invite all perspectives.

As a leader, you may think that certain training or policies are working because no one is saying differently. Have you really asked, though?

If you haven’t, now is the time. Invite differing perspectives from within your organization to examine issues and be thoughtful about whose perspectives can really lend a fresh new point-of-view. The goal should be to get the people who are affected by specific policies and training in the room.

At Fierce, we use the TEAM MODEL to help companies have these types of conversations. The goal is for multiple people to work through an opportunity and challenge, so multiple views can be heard.

2. Ask more questions.

When an employee comes to you and has an issue with the current status quo for the team, company, or a product, take this opportunity to get curious with them and ask these questions:

• Is there something that isn’t working?
• Why isn’t it working?
• How can we fix it?
• Where do you see opportunities for improvement?

Maybe a major overhaul isn’t even in order, and it’s just a simple adjustment that can make everyone more engaged. These one-on-one opportunities with your team are great ways to, little by little, shift away from the current state of affairs towards something more meaningful.

3. Be ready to help the change.

If a team member brings a new idea to the table, keep an open mind. If your default response is one of resistance, and you’re quick to say no, the other person may feel dismissed. This is where you may miss a real opportunity to make an improvement that could benefit the entire company.

Consider all variables, including the resources you have available to implement the idea and explore all avenues you can to make a positive change possible.

PUTTING IDEAS TO ACTION

As a small business leader, I consistently grapple with challenging the status quo. I believe one of my fundamental jobs is to make sure we are focused on the right objectives as an organization, and that our brilliant, capable team has the resources needed to accomplish what we have set out to do.

I think most leaders would agree that this is a central function. However, the rubber really hits the road when my team members bring me ideas or comments about shifting focus or resources. This is the dance of challenging the status quo and taking action.

Here’s a great example:  Our short term strategy has been to improve our core offerings rather than focus on developing net new products. When a leader or team member comes to me with an amazing idea to build X or Y product, it could be easy for me to say, “This doesn’t fit with our strategy.” The issue with that response is that it shuts down further exploration of the status quo of our strategy.

Instead of me responding that way, I remind myself to ask questions and get curious. In a growing and changing business, it’s dangerous to believe that all strategies and focuses are 100 percent spot on, so it’s necessary to invite conversations and get curious.

In the end, at times it has been deemed that the focus should be to stick with the strategy, and other times, the question or recommendation shifted the strategy for the better. I actively thank our Fiercelings for engaging in conversations with me about what’s working and not working so they know their perspectives matter to our organization as a whole.

It’s a constant journey to challenge the status quo, and it’s the essential job of a leader to interrogate reality  — to get clear on what’s truly happening and be open to learning and shifting perspective.

Gone are the days that the President or CEO has all the answers. The job of all leaders is to seek answers, ask good questions, and be a place where fierce conversations can happen.

As someone with more than 20 years’ experience teaching leaders how to have effective conversations, I strongly believe that feedback is extremely important to individual and organizational success…and absolutely NOT a fallacy.

In a recent Harvard Business Review article, The Feedback Fallacy, Marcus Buckingham and his co-author, Ashley Goodall, take feedback to task. They argue that the act of feedback is “about telling people what we think of their performance and how they should do it better…and on that, the research is clear: Telling people what we think of their performance doesn’t help them thrive and excel and telling people how we think they should improve actually hinders learning.”

This definition, from a training perspective, puts me in an unfortunate bind.

For the most part, their points are solid:

• NOT EFFECTIVE: identifying failure and giving people feedback about how to avoid it.
• EFFECTIVE: praise that interrupts and pulls a colleague’s attention toward something that really worked.
• NOT EFFECTIVE: when someone whose intentions are unclear tells us where to stand, how good we “really” are, and what we must do to fix ourselves.
• EFFECTIVE: when people who know and care about us tell us what they experience and what they feel, and in particular when they see something within us that really works.

One gets the feeling when reading these things, that all we experience is what’s NOT effective — that because we’re rarely-if-ever experience what is effective, that it’s all a fallacy.

This is where I take issue with Buckingham’s argument.

It’s a difficult pill to swallow — disagreeing with Marcus Buckingham, a person who I admire. But alas, as someone who lives in the Learning and Development world and has seen it’s magic when successful, I must.

I must disagree because I truly believe “The Feedback Fallacy” completely misses the point of what successful, healthy feedback truly is — which, in itself is what Buckingham actually alludes to in his article, whether he knows it or not.

Because we haven’t learned how to give, receive, and ask for feedback effectively it APPEARS to be a fallacy.

Enter Fierce Feedback.

IN DEFENSE OF EFFECTIVE FEEDBACK

At Fierce we believe that what we talk about, how we talk about it, and most importantly, the degree of authenticity we bring to the conversations we are having makes all the difference. This, by necessity, includes Fierce Feedback – one of the most highly requested programs we offer.

In the past year alone, I have trained Fierce in numerous companies with countless participants discussing feedback’s importance, its value, and its how-to. Again and again, I hear nearly the same thing: “there’s a measurable and painful gap between what we know we should be saying and what we’re actually saying (or not saying)!” There has never been a time in which I’ve heard anyone say that feedback is a “fallacy.”

The clients we work with – and their leaders – know it’s needed, critical even. They know its absence is costly. And they know they’ve got to get better at it.

They’re hardly alone.

All of us know how we should be engaging with others – whether in our organization as a whole, our workgroups, and teams and especially in our personal relationships.

We know that when we’re providing constructive feedback, even recognition, and praise, it needs to be specific. And, to Buckingham’s point, we can acknowledge that we only give feedback from our own limited perspective.

We also know, even if we sometimes forget, that we MUST allow the other person to share their perspective so that feedback doesn’t become a one-way diatribe. It’s a conversation after all!

WHAT PEOPLE REALLY THINK OF FEEDBACK

The knowing isn’t the problem. It’s the doing (or lack thereof) that is. Here’s a sample of what I continue to hear:

• “I know feedback would help my colleague move closer to her goals; that it would serve and support her along the way. But I don’t want to say anything that might upset her or be taken the wrong way.”
• “I know people need and deserve more praise, but I don’t want them to get used to it. Shouldn’t they just know that if they don’t hear anything, everything’s OK?”
• “I want to give feedback, but I’m afraid the other person can’t handle it; worse, they’ll think I’m mean. And besides, it’s their job! Shouldn’t they just know what they’re supposed to be doing and how? Why do I have to tell them?”
• “Yes, I could mitigate a potential disaster by stepping into a conversation with a colleague or direct report, but I don’t want to come off as a know-it-all or seen as too demanding. Besides, I’m busy. They’ll figure it out eventually.”

Bringing this back to my disagreement with Buckingham and Goodall, the issue is not that feedback is a fallacy. It’s that very few organizations have the practical, relevant, and applicable tools in place that enable people to give and receive feedback effectively.

No wonder it’s viewed so negatively! We are not equipped with the necessary skills to do (and say) what we know matters most.

Which, come to think of it, is exactly what the authors are saying – just from a different slant:

“There’s nothing more believable and more authoritative than sharing what you saw…and how it made you feel. Use phrases such as ‘This is how that came across for me,’ or ‘This is what that made me think,’ or even just ‘Did you see what you did there?’ Those are your reactions — they are your truth…as seen through your eyes.”

Exactly! This IS what Fierce Feedback teaches.

“The emphasis here should not be on why – ‘Why didn’t that work?’ ‘Why do you think you should do that?’ …Instead, focus on what – ‘What do you actually want to have happened?’ ‘What are a couple of actions you could take right now?’”

Yes. Yes. Yes! This is, again, exactly what Fierce Feedback offers and teaches; it’s why we so strongly believe in all forms of feedback.

It’s all about having “people who know us and care about us tell us what they experience and what they feel…”

Perfect! (Have you been hanging out, incognito, in the back of my classes?)

WHY FEEDBACK IS IMPORTANT

A leader in one of our client-organizations told me a story that makes all of this that much more poignant and powerful: She had been working at the same company for 10 years when she received a significant promotion to a high-profile project. The stakes were significant and success was non-negotiable.

During that first year, she felt a great deal of anxiety and stress, not to mention frustration. She rarely received any feedback at all from her new manager and little clarity on expectations.

When the day came for her first annual review in the new position, she began organizing the files in her office and collecting her personal effects because she was sure she was about to be let go, at the very least, demoted. She even called her husband, who happened to work across the street, and asked him to be on the ready, since she was certain she’d need a shoulder to cry on.

Imagine her surprise when she met with her manager and received nothing but glowing recommendations and “exceeds expectations” across the board!

Six months later she left the company.

Giving feedback, “sharing our truth,” naming what we see and how it makes us feel, even (and maybe especially) where praise and recognition are concerned, makes all the difference. Had she received it all along, she may not have left at all.

Yes, too many organizations get it wrong – including the extremes of Bridgewater Associates and Netflix, as Buckingham suggests in his article — which is why we at Fierce remain committed to feedback itself and Fierce Feedback, specifically.

The limitless business and relational results that feedback drives when done well – with skill, grace, humility, and courage — are wonderful to witness and certainly make the case that no one should ever give up on feedback.

Were Marcus Buckingham given the opportunity to reframe his argument with an understanding of Fierce Feedback, I’ve no doubt he would agree that it’s no fallacy at all; rather, more needed than ever!

Interested in finding out more about how you can become more effective at feedback? In this blog, we share the three ways anyone can unlock the true value of feedback.

Giving quality feedback can cause intense anxiety and receiving feedback gracefully is one of the hardest things to do. We want to be liked, after all. We want to appear as though we are competent in everything we do.

If the mere thought of giving or receiving feedback makes you want to run for the hills and hide, you aren’t alone — more than 50 percent of employees say they don’t regularly speak their minds at work, according to our recent Fierce research.

However, when we let those fears win and allow us to put feedback on the back burner, an environment that perpetuates resentment, inactivity and disengagement is created. Don’t believe me? Look at these statistics on feedback failure:

A staggering 69 percent of employees say they would work harder if they felt their efforts were being better recognized, according to OfficeVibe, while 98 percent of employees say they fail to be engaged when managers give little or no feedback. Furthermore, 4 out of 10 workers say they are actively disengaged when they get little or no feedback.

Creating a feedback culture where candor is the expectation and trust is strong enriches relationships and overwhelmingly can transform your business for the better.

The good news is you don’t have to be afraid of feedback, and in fact, you can actually learn to love it. Yes, I said love it — as in enjoying, looking forward to and even loving the thought of receiving or giving feedback on a regular basis.

Below are 3 ways for you to start mastering quality feedback and begin creating a high performing culture:

1. ASK FOR IT

A solid first step to falling in love with feedback is to start practicing it — regularly. Empower yourself to consistently seek feedback by simply ASKING for it.

This may seem overly elementary, because, well of course, just ask for it. But let’s be real for a second: how often do you really ask for feedback? Rather, do you tend to find yourself sitting back and waiting for it to come to you?

We can say to ourselves, “if someone is bothered by something I’m doing or if I’m not doing something well, they’ll tell me,” thus, a lack of feedback must mean I’m doing great!

However, by engaging in this behavior, we miss valuable conversations with valuable insight, and we end up coasting (blindly). This can lead to all kinds of problems such as missed learning opportunities, miscommunication with our coworkers and managers, and unexpected confrontation down the line to name a few.

What someone chooses to courageously share with you, or more importantly, how you ask for it or IF you ask for it, determines, to an extent, what will or won’t happen for you.

The decision you make about whether to invite that feedback into your consideration is going to have an impact, big or small, on determining your course or your path.

By proactively asking for feedback, you will uncover how your behavior, style, or decisions are really being interpreted.

2. BE PREPARED TO LISTEN & LEARN

Why is receiving feedback one of the harder things to do?

I think it’s because it requires you to be vulnerable. To stay open to where you aren’t doing things well can feel like you’re standing on the cliff of failure, and a manager’s or coworker’s words may just push you off. It feels risky.

We take feedback personally because it is personal. We’ve seen time and time again in our own Fierce research that when people are given feedback that was not expected or may even be embarrassing for them, egos can prevent us from hearing the feedback or doing something with it in order to make changes.

Keep in mind receiving feedback doesn’t mean you have to believe every bit of the feedback you receive. Instead, receiving feedback means you enter the conversation and explore the feedback TOGETHER.

So, listen to the specifics in the feedback. What is the person giving you feedback trying to convey? Let them finish their thoughts and make sure not to get defensive — remember, you were the one who asked for the feedback in the first place.

An element of truly listening is asking questions and paraphrasing for clarification. Explore the assessment giver’s perceptions without balking. Ask for clarification yourself, if need be, in order to more fully understand.

3. EMPHASIZE YOUR WILLINGNESS TO CHANGE

As mentioned above, don’t defend yourself. If you truly want feedback, it’s important to accept what others tell you as their perception — their reality of you and the situation. Again remember, you don’t have to do anything with the evaluation.

But, if you ask for feedback and do nothing, it’s often worse than had you not asked for it at all. In a way, you’re sending the message that it’s all smoke and mirrors. You’re going to ask for feedback in order to look good, and so you appear to be the kind of person who’s willing to change and improve yourself, BUT you’re not actually going to do any of the work.

You can decide to change only some things — you don’t have to change everything that is mentioned in the feedback you received. You also don’t have to tell the person immediately what you plan to do, but you SHOULD let them know when you have decided.

Don’t let too much moss grow under your feet on this one. If you do know what you are willing to do based on their feedback, communicate what that is to them. Emphasize your willingness to change and outline how you will do that.

If you believe it will take time, let them know you will be working on it over a certain period. Summarize what you’ve heard and tell them when you will have a decision made.