As organizations begin to hire and onboard new talent, it is easy for managers to make the mistake of spending all their time bringing new hires up to speed and redirecting those who are off track. This is a classic mistake that often leads to neglect of those high performers who appear on the surface to be highly engaged and self-motivated. The problem lies in the energy continuum where, at one end, those with low engagement underperform and “rust out” as they wait and see what is expected. At the other end of the energy continuum are the highly motivated team members who work so hard they are at risk for burnout, yet no one is checking in on them – or worse, managers are delegating even more to them without engaging them.
So what can managers do to help their employees avoid both extremes of burnout and rust out? Delegation training focusing on growth, confidence, purpose, and strategic goals is a great place to start. Here are the steps:
a. Assess the potential talent pool available to receive your delegated project or task.
b. Determine the level of skill required for success with the delegated duties.
c. Evaluate the level of visibility of the project and the consequences of failure.
d. Decide if you want to make this a stretch assignment for an employee with less experience, or if you need to assign it to one of your most experienced and talented team members (in cases where the stakes are high).
These steps allow managers to delegate with confidence and grow their team members.
What are the most important issues you are facing during organizational growth? What suggestions can you offer others who are struggling to manage effective growth?
