Kerstin Rock’s Post

#delegation is an interesting topic, especially for a new manager. As a new manager years back I felt I did it very well. But reality struck when a 360 degree survey mentioned this as the primary area of improvement. When I introspected, I could find out why I went wrong. There are several ways #delegation becomes tough for a new manager. This article consolidated many points. https://lnkd.in/gmVFGGiY Many feel they must do everything themselves to prove their worth. While some pressures are real, many are self-imposed, stemming from misconceptions about leadership. Here's how to navigate this challenge: 📢 Change Your Mindset Transitioning from an individual contributor to a leader means shifting from "doing" to "managing." Your success now hinges on your team's growth and achievements, not just your personal output. Embrace delegation to empower your team and free up your time for strategic priorities. 📢 Determine What and Who to Delegate To Make a list of your tasks and identify which ones you can delegate. Consider tasks that: - Hamper your ability to focus on high-level projects. - Provide learning opportunities for your team. - Leverage your team members' strengths. 📢 Communicate Clearly When delegating, set clear expectations and provide context. Schedule one-on-one meetings to discuss the task, its importance, and why you chose them for it. Establish roles, timelines, and check-in points to ensure alignment without micromanaging. 📢 Celebrate Progress and Provide Feedback Regularly check in, offer constructive feedback, and celebrate milestones. Recognize your team's efforts and link their contributions to the larger organizational goals. 📢 Review and Reflect After completing a project, reflect on the process with your team. Discuss what went well, what could improve, and how you can support them better in the future. By implementing these strategies, you'll not only lighten your load but also foster a more capable and engaged team. Remember, delegating is an investment in your team and your growth as a leader. 💡 **Pro Tip:** Be patient and consistent. Delegation skills improve over time, and soon, it will become second nature. One of my earlier posts on delegation https://lnkd.in/gVc9dkgv #management #leadership

A while ago, you voted on which skills you'd want to learn more about. The winner was Delegation. I've found this to be one of the hardest transitions for most people leaders - regardless of role. The first time people manager is used to succeeding by doing. But even the executives I've worked with have a hard time releasing the reins when a certain type of command - control style has earned them their rank. There's a sort of cognitive dissonance when you're new to delegating. One part of your brain reminds you to know what's happening on a higher level and understand each moving piece. The other part is rationally explaining that there's no feasible way to have eyes on all projects 24/7. Delegating is the key to making these two dissonant voices live in harmony. The mindset shift from "doing" to "managing" is steep, but it has to happen for you to be successful. Having to let go of the route that took you from A to B and trust this new part. While this article's main audience is a first time manager, I'd encourage season vets to read it with an open mind. #Delegating #Managers #FirstTime #Advice #peopleleaders

I recently came across this HBR article on delegation, and it really hit home. My first-time leading teams in a corporate environment was made possible by former boss, mentor and now occasional Happy Hour partner, Matt Fortuna. Matt mentioned to me that delegation is often the most significant challenge for new managers, and I couldn't agree more. Many of us feel we can do it all and struggle with the idea that assigning tasks to others is a sign of weakness or lack of effort. It took a shift in perspective to make this work more smoothly for me but it's still a challenging aspect of management. #Delegation #LeadershipDevelopment #ManagementInsights

First time Managers, How good are your "delegation " skills ? Does it really matters ! Learning how to delegate well is a skill every first-time manager needs to learn from the very start. Many people are promoted into management for doing their previous job well. But once you’re promoted into a leadership role, you must accept that you can’t do everything on your own — nor should you. Though it may seem counterintuitive, the more senior you become in an organization, the less you’ll be involved in doing the day-to-day work. You’ll need to have a sense of what’s happening without directly contributing to every project. To do that, you first have to change your mindset from “doing” to “managing,” even though it might feel uncomfortable. If you resist this change, you’ll likely end up overwhelmed and (unintentionally) holding onto opportunities that could be given to your team #artofdelegation #delegationskills

New managers, struggling with delegation? Change your mindset from "doing" to "managing," and identify tasks that can help your team develop their skills. 🔗 Read more: https://lnkd.in/dZ8XnGzx #delegate #manager #firsttimemanager #feedback #progress #managing #management #clearcommunication #mindset #careeradvice

You have proven yourself to be a good professional in your field of expertise and you’re ready to step up to a more managerial role. It takes some practice to feel comfortable to delegate, without losing control of the outcome. There are a couple of steps that could help you to get to this role with more confidence. #management #delegation #experience #confidence

First-time managers must learn to delegate effectively, as they cannot do everything on their own. As senior in an organization, they need to change their mindset from "doing" to "managing," even if it feels uncomfortable. Resisting this change may lead to being overwhelmed and holding onto opportunities for the team. Learn more from this HBR article.

"You need to delegate more." << have you ever gotten this feedback? Managers know *in theory* that we're supposed to delegate, but there are a lot of barriers that get in the way of us putting it into practice. There's an art and a science to delegation—and new managers need more information on why delegation is important (not just for you, but for your team!) and how to actually do it. Here's a fantastic new article from Shanna Hocking for Harvard Business Review that walks you through the key points every new manager needs to know to delegate effectively. (Shanna, this article is fantastic and I'm going to share it with every new manager I work with!)

Summary.    Learning how to delegate well is a skill every first-time manager needs to learn from the very start. Many people are promoted into management for doing their previous job well. But once you’re promoted into a leadership role, you must accept that you can’t do everything on your own — nor should you. Though it may seem counterintuitive, the more senior you become in an organization, the less you’ll be involved in doing the day-to-day work. You’ll need to have a sense of what’s happening without directly contributing to every project. To do that, you first have to change your mindset from “doing” to “managing,” even though it might feel uncomfortable. If you resist this change, you’ll likely end up overwhelmed and (unintentionally) holding onto opportunities that could be given to your team.

Here's a article from HBR around how to delegate work to a team. It's a good read for first-time managers and a refresher for experienced leaders also. That said, there is something important for technology leaders that is treated too lightly here. The article discusses the basics around delegation, including the key points: ► The required mindset shift from individual contributor "doing the work" to the role of setting a goal and enabling the team to reach it. This is what most new managers struggle with the most. ► How to select goals and work to be delegated, and who to assign to that work. There can be more complexity here than meets the eye, if you want your team to grow from the experience. ► Engaging a team member in a delegation conversation. Establishing roles, and communication, and a timeline is critical, yet this is often neglected in delegation conversations. ► Appreciating achievements and reviewing/reflecting on the outcome, which is very important in terms of how a leader shows up from the viewpoint of their team. So what would I add to this? When discussion how to engage on a project, especially a technical project, it is critically important to discuss risks and how to deal with them. Discussing how to escalate bad news, including how, when, and who to involve for escalation, will help the person doing the work understand how to think about contingencies and risks before they actually happen. The result is better preparation for the challenges along the way to a hopefully great outcome.