Delegation is an integral part of management. But simply doling out tasks isn’t always the best way to encourage engagement. You want your team to be independent and make good decisions, so you have to empower them to take ownership of their work. Here are some suggestions to get you started.
Pair Tasks with Goals
Your employees should understand how each of their daily tasks impacts a future goal. Without this connection, it can seem like they’re just pulling a lever without any outcome. Make sure you communicate your team’s long-term goals, how they fit into the bigger picture, and how vital their functions are.
Mentor Through Mistakes
Mistakes happen. What’s important is what happens after the error is made. Some managers punish first rather than taking this opportunity to mentor their employees through the process of improvement. Show them how they can recover from a mistake and avoid similar issues in the future.
Listen More
Far too often, we listen only long enough to form a response. But your employees need you to truly hear them when they have something to say. Practice active listening skills. Hear everything they tell you, recap the information to make sure you understand, and ask any necessary questions to clarify information.
Understand Their Values
Every employee is motivated by different things. When we don’t make the meaning of their work align with their values, they may not feel connected with what they’re doing. It’s essential to use each employee’s personal motivation to encourage top performance and provide appropriate praise and rewards.
Trust Your Team
You hired every person on your team for a reason. They had the skills necessary to do the job or the potential to learn. Now, it’s time to trust them to do the job you hired them to do. Don’t micromanage. Give them autonomy to make decisions and don’t worry too much about the process but more about the outcome.
Are you looking for top talent? Contact the team at CornerStone Staffing today.