What's Trust Got To Do With It?
By Gary Gzik

Tina Turner had the question wrong. It's not a question of love but a question of trust, specifically when it relates to delegation.

Many managers struggle with delegation, a simple word with so many different outcomes. The issue is that most managers do not put delegation and trust into the proper context. For this combination to work there needs to be readiness.

Readiness is defined as having two attributes: willingness and competence. For someone to be ready for trust and delegation, both attributes need to be fulfilled. Far too often because of business demands, a manager may be tempted to delegate to someone who quite frankly, is not ready for the responsibility. Managers may even cave into the pressure or the illusion of readiness because of a rallying cry of 'What, you don't trust me?' from team members. Delegating before one is ready can lead to disaster, distrust and blame.

Effective delegation begins with TRUST. The acronym TRUST stands for Training, Respect, Understanding, Support, and Teamwork.

Training. People can't be expected to do a job they don't know how to do. Training is about making sure people have the knowledge and skills to demonstrate competence in their field. Remember competence is a key attribute for readiness.

Respect. Words alone don't cut it here. Respect is about aligning words with actions. Do you respect the individual to whom you plan to delegate? Do you understand and value their work pressures? When you clearly delegate, do you give them space or do you micromanage? Your actions here will determine your delegation success in the long run.

Understanding. Have you clearly outlined your objectives and expectations for the delegation? One of the biggest frustrations for employees is not having a clear understanding of the task and yet being held accountable for results. Take the time up front and clearly outline in a meeting or document your expectations, time frames and parameters. This will save time and frustration for all stakeholders.

Support. Be available to answer questions or supply necessary resources to help score quick successes. Support means not abdicating responsibility but knowing when to be involved and when to back off. Support also means to praise the progress. Don't wait for the end result before you give any words of encouragement or praise. Remember, it takes a bunch of little wins to create one big win.

Teamwork. An effective method for increasing results is through team delegation. If a team is ready, both in competence and willingness then don't be afraid to team delegate. The rules still apply. Clearly outline the expectations, objectives and timelines, but it is imperative to also clearly outline the responsibilities of all parties involved in the delegation. Any vagueness can lead to excuses and missed objectives.

Remember, don't fall into the delegation trap. Just follow the success formula:

• Trust + Delegation = Readiness
• Readiness = Willingness + Competence
• Therefore;
• Trust + Delegation = Willingness + Competence
• Everyone wins with this formula.

For more ideas on leadership, or to book a leadership training course, please contact Gary Gzik.