Welcome to Business Management
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Epos Systems - History and Technology
History of EPOS technology
Before the evolution of EPOS systems, merchants relied on cash operated registers to tally their sales. Prices were manually punched in and totaled by cashiers and inventory records were kept by hand. The cashier’s notes were then transcribed into an accounting ledger to keep track of finances. Inventory was managed by physically counting items in storage and carefully writing down every item purchased and sold.
It was not until 1986 that IBM introduced its first computer based EPOS system. Manufacturers developed credit card devices that were integrated into a company’s EPOS system. Registers are now multi-function and can be used for employees to clock in, for age verification and gift card activation. They can also be used for charging credit cards.
Recently, EPOS made a significant leap with enhanced capability and total compatibility with other electronic management tools. Initially, it was too difficult to transfer data between manufacturers or even other cash registers. There was no portal that allowed a smooth transfer of information between different EPOS systems and software. However, it is now the norm for all EPOS terminals to be operated by Windows based programs.
Benefits and uses of EPOS systems
While cash management is one of the main components of EPOS systems technology, these systems now employ a wide variety of functions. They are used for inventory management, service management, customer relation management and even payroll modules. In fact, they are sometimes referred to as retail management software because of the absolute integration between business management and technology in the last twenty years.
A manager can, at any given time, access the necessary figures from the EPOS system, including total income, net income, the amount that needs to go to the government for taxes, number of items of any particular piece of merchandise that was sold, the number of units that should still remain in storage, and what products need to be reordered.
EPOS Effectiveness
Without an EPOS, many retail stores would find it simply impossible to handle the day to day cash management and inventory requirements.
The advent of EPOS and its integration with financial and inventory control has given businesses the insight and effectiveness to manage their products, control inventory and keep abreast of their business operations.
Before the evolution of EPOS systems, merchants relied on cash operated registers to tally their sales. Prices were manually punched in and totaled by cashiers and inventory records were kept by hand. The cashier’s notes were then transcribed into an accounting ledger to keep track of finances. Inventory was managed by physically counting items in storage and carefully writing down every item purchased and sold.
It was not until 1986 that IBM introduced its first computer based EPOS system. Manufacturers developed credit card devices that were integrated into a company’s EPOS system. Registers are now multi-function and can be used for employees to clock in, for age verification and gift card activation. They can also be used for charging credit cards.
Recently, EPOS made a significant leap with enhanced capability and total compatibility with other electronic management tools. Initially, it was too difficult to transfer data between manufacturers or even other cash registers. There was no portal that allowed a smooth transfer of information between different EPOS systems and software. However, it is now the norm for all EPOS terminals to be operated by Windows based programs.
Benefits and uses of EPOS systems
While cash management is one of the main components of EPOS systems technology, these systems now employ a wide variety of functions. They are used for inventory management, service management, customer relation management and even payroll modules. In fact, they are sometimes referred to as retail management software because of the absolute integration between business management and technology in the last twenty years.
A manager can, at any given time, access the necessary figures from the EPOS system, including total income, net income, the amount that needs to go to the government for taxes, number of items of any particular piece of merchandise that was sold, the number of units that should still remain in storage, and what products need to be reordered.
EPOS Effectiveness
Without an EPOS, many retail stores would find it simply impossible to handle the day to day cash management and inventory requirements.
The advent of EPOS and its integration with financial and inventory control has given businesses the insight and effectiveness to manage their products, control inventory and keep abreast of their business operations.
Can Strategic Thinking be that Simple?
In business sometimes, "humorously", people relate strategic thinking to something expensive or very clever.
In the academic circles, it is certainly a word preserved for the gurus to use as they please, not to mention using it as a buzzword to attract the attention of rich business leaders.
In career industry, the word strategic thinking almost certainly crop up in any conversation to do with promotion or demotion of an individual. "You don't think strategically" or "he thinks strategically".
Does this ring the bell?
Trying to decipher the meaning of the word by reading the strategy gurus' books, takes you into the jungles of an intellectual pursuits that will end up making you feel not so clever after all.
It may also force you to hire some of these strategy gurus to do this expensive thinking for you in the end.
Let's try to work this one out and see what this strategic thinking is all about.
The word Strategic comes from the word Strategy. We all know that the word strategy is actually more expensive than the word strategic, and of course, it is the cause of this entire expensive business world we live in.
Strategy simply put is "a way of thinking", the thinking of the General, or the leader on the battlefield of war or business.
Generalship is all about winning, how do they do that? by utilising all the resources available to the them systematically to achieve the purpose of war. The same definition applies in business; strategy is for winning by utillising all the organization resources to systematically achieve the purpose of the enterprise.
The word "Strategic" therefore, means what is "essential" to strategy or in line with the strategy.
This mean that any function within the organisation that acts or plans without taking into account the overall strategy or purpose of the company, is by nature not strategic.
This brings us to strategic thinking which I hope you figured it out by now...
Any thinking that is in line and guided by the company purpose and strategy is "Strategic Thinking".
Let me give you an example.
Few years ago, British Gas in the UK changed its vision and wanted to expand its activities. The new "mission" statement indicated a new direction for the company, "We take Care of the Essential" they announced.
This mission statement suggested that British Gas intended to enter new businesses that is essential to achieve this new purpose .i.e. utilities must now include electricity, telephones, water as being essential. Other essentials such as roadside recovery, home appliances maintenance and so on and so forth were now needed to fulfil this new purpose.
In fact creating a "monolithic" IT System to cross sell products from all these "essentials" became also "essential" and a became a major IT strategy too.
British gas went and bought the AA (The Automobile Association), which was certainly a "strategic" move and essential to the overall company mission and strategy.
Now, the AA in its infinite wisdom decided to buy a "golf club" and establish a new business and facility for its customers.
Such a business is certainly not strategic because it is not in line with the overall company mission or strategy.
How such a new business venture was approved by the main board of the company is beyond anyone understanding.
Nevertheless, speculating on the continuity of such a business venture must really be a child play.
Low and behold, within two years the business was closed down as not being "strategic" or in line with the company overall strategy, in other word, not a strategic business.
Now, when British Gas decided to change its direction completely and focus solely on energy; forced by the turmoil in the energy market, most of its businesses became non-strategic instantly. The demise of these non-strategic businesses to the trained eyes of any "strategic thinker" was a matter of time.
As it happened, Within couple of years, British Gas sold its banking business, the Automobile Association, and the Telecoms business.
Thinking Strategically, the company started to search for more energy assets to secure supply for its customers, short and long term while of course staying in line with company overall "new" purpose" and overall strategy.
This example shows you that, the same thinking i.e. buying the AA and then selling the AA were both strategic thinking and correct at the time of execution.
Strategic thinking therefore is NOT that complex or must be preserved for the elites of society to do. It is basically non-emotional thinking and essential to a specific strategy or mission that one has in mind.
In the academic circles, it is certainly a word preserved for the gurus to use as they please, not to mention using it as a buzzword to attract the attention of rich business leaders.
In career industry, the word strategic thinking almost certainly crop up in any conversation to do with promotion or demotion of an individual. "You don't think strategically" or "he thinks strategically".
Does this ring the bell?
Trying to decipher the meaning of the word by reading the strategy gurus' books, takes you into the jungles of an intellectual pursuits that will end up making you feel not so clever after all.
It may also force you to hire some of these strategy gurus to do this expensive thinking for you in the end.
Let's try to work this one out and see what this strategic thinking is all about.
The word Strategic comes from the word Strategy. We all know that the word strategy is actually more expensive than the word strategic, and of course, it is the cause of this entire expensive business world we live in.
Strategy simply put is "a way of thinking", the thinking of the General, or the leader on the battlefield of war or business.
Generalship is all about winning, how do they do that? by utilising all the resources available to the them systematically to achieve the purpose of war. The same definition applies in business; strategy is for winning by utillising all the organization resources to systematically achieve the purpose of the enterprise.
The word "Strategic" therefore, means what is "essential" to strategy or in line with the strategy.
This mean that any function within the organisation that acts or plans without taking into account the overall strategy or purpose of the company, is by nature not strategic.
This brings us to strategic thinking which I hope you figured it out by now...
Any thinking that is in line and guided by the company purpose and strategy is "Strategic Thinking".
Let me give you an example.
Few years ago, British Gas in the UK changed its vision and wanted to expand its activities. The new "mission" statement indicated a new direction for the company, "We take Care of the Essential" they announced.
This mission statement suggested that British Gas intended to enter new businesses that is essential to achieve this new purpose .i.e. utilities must now include electricity, telephones, water as being essential. Other essentials such as roadside recovery, home appliances maintenance and so on and so forth were now needed to fulfil this new purpose.
In fact creating a "monolithic" IT System to cross sell products from all these "essentials" became also "essential" and a became a major IT strategy too.
British gas went and bought the AA (The Automobile Association), which was certainly a "strategic" move and essential to the overall company mission and strategy.
Now, the AA in its infinite wisdom decided to buy a "golf club" and establish a new business and facility for its customers.
Such a business is certainly not strategic because it is not in line with the overall company mission or strategy.
How such a new business venture was approved by the main board of the company is beyond anyone understanding.
Nevertheless, speculating on the continuity of such a business venture must really be a child play.
Low and behold, within two years the business was closed down as not being "strategic" or in line with the company overall strategy, in other word, not a strategic business.
Now, when British Gas decided to change its direction completely and focus solely on energy; forced by the turmoil in the energy market, most of its businesses became non-strategic instantly. The demise of these non-strategic businesses to the trained eyes of any "strategic thinker" was a matter of time.
As it happened, Within couple of years, British Gas sold its banking business, the Automobile Association, and the Telecoms business.
Thinking Strategically, the company started to search for more energy assets to secure supply for its customers, short and long term while of course staying in line with company overall "new" purpose" and overall strategy.
This example shows you that, the same thinking i.e. buying the AA and then selling the AA were both strategic thinking and correct at the time of execution.
Strategic thinking therefore is NOT that complex or must be preserved for the elites of society to do. It is basically non-emotional thinking and essential to a specific strategy or mission that one has in mind.
Managing From A Postion Of Strength
Don’t be held hostage!
During a recent roundtable discussion of management styles and techniques with several colleagues, I was asked to write about a couple of subjects that make all the difference in how managers can be more effective in leading their teams.
The first topic applies to the leadership position we all want to be in…where we can manage from a position of strength, and not be held hostage by a weak team of direct reports.
When a manager does not have a ready-to-promote group of hungry candidates, he or she can very easily be held hostage by the current group of subordinates who may not be motivated to do their best or may not be of the quality needed to get the job done.
It’s hard for the manager to uphold high standards if there is no evidence that someone equal to or better is ready and hungry for the job. That’s why there is nothing more urgent and important than having a strong development program in place that is ongoing and teaches the skills people need to be promoted to the next level.
Every time these sharp, hungry, and determined candidates can be shown to aspire, the rest of the group will know that they can and will be held accountable for their behavior and performance.
So how does one accomplish this? Think about this…which is more important, selecting the best candidates to develop or the program that not only tells and shows how the skills are done, but actively involves the students in applying the behaviors?
Before I get further into the development and training elements, let me focus on the importance of selecting the best candidates.
This second topic speaks to the value of panel interviews for selection of candidates to mentor and develop up to the selection of promoting the very best.
Rule to remember, you will be spending more time than usual in working with these candidates; so it’s critical to make great choices.
Why is it so important to have a group of people involved in choosing the best? Shouldn’t you, the boss, be capable of making those decisions? Of course you can…you’re the most qualified, aren’t you?
Let me address the value to the candidate – who has to WANT the opportunity. Forcing or coercing someone into something they are resistant to usually spells failure for them. So if you have that person who wants to learn and grow, you’re halfway home.
Being put in a position where the candidate has to interview for the opportunity, lends added value to the proposition – it’s not just handed to them, they have to earn the right. They will prepare, they will put their best foot forward, they will want to show you they deserve this opportunity.
Next, let’s discuss the value of panel selection interviews as to the mentor/trainers of your potential candidates. Won’t they try harder to help their protégé be better? You can be sure they will take pride in signing off on their “product”…and this will likely improve their own performance.
If some of these mentors are part of the interview panel, they will be far more involved in bringing only the best to the table.
As to your team and developing these high potential candidates – they will take more ownership in the trainees and the program, especially if we involve them in the development and training content. And if one or more of the candidates are their own direct reports, you can be sure they will hold those individuals to a higher standard of excellence since they will be reflecting directly on their boss.
Let’s come back to Training and Development – if you’re going to spend your time with one or two, why not involve a dozen? What’s the worst that can happen? Your choices of finding the best are greater, those people have all developed stronger skills, and you have likely helped a few to learn what level they are best suited for.
Volumes have been written on how to train and develop people, whether for skilled positions or management. What I would like to address is a basic principle for learning that applies to every person, regardless of skill or intelligence level. That principle includes three elements to teaching and learning. First, we have to “Tell” what the behavior is, then we have to show what that behavior looks like, and critically, we must involve the individuals in learning the behavior by doing it. Practice and repetition build the skill. Rest assured, just telling will never get the job done; don’t ever assume it will.
More food for thought…at the end of the development program, when it comes time to promote on or some of these outstanding people, we need to conduct a round of panel interviews to find the best candidate of this fine group whom we want to promote. What better way to find out who is best prepared for the new opportunity than to have a panel work through the interview process together and build a consensus?
Put this all together and we have a situation where everyone wins. The end result is that you can be a more effective leader, you’ve surrounded yourself with high performers, and you’ve built a legacy of building and sustaining high performing teams. You can home and sleep at night!
During a recent roundtable discussion of management styles and techniques with several colleagues, I was asked to write about a couple of subjects that make all the difference in how managers can be more effective in leading their teams.
The first topic applies to the leadership position we all want to be in…where we can manage from a position of strength, and not be held hostage by a weak team of direct reports.
When a manager does not have a ready-to-promote group of hungry candidates, he or she can very easily be held hostage by the current group of subordinates who may not be motivated to do their best or may not be of the quality needed to get the job done.
It’s hard for the manager to uphold high standards if there is no evidence that someone equal to or better is ready and hungry for the job. That’s why there is nothing more urgent and important than having a strong development program in place that is ongoing and teaches the skills people need to be promoted to the next level.
Every time these sharp, hungry, and determined candidates can be shown to aspire, the rest of the group will know that they can and will be held accountable for their behavior and performance.
So how does one accomplish this? Think about this…which is more important, selecting the best candidates to develop or the program that not only tells and shows how the skills are done, but actively involves the students in applying the behaviors?
Before I get further into the development and training elements, let me focus on the importance of selecting the best candidates.
This second topic speaks to the value of panel interviews for selection of candidates to mentor and develop up to the selection of promoting the very best.
Rule to remember, you will be spending more time than usual in working with these candidates; so it’s critical to make great choices.
Why is it so important to have a group of people involved in choosing the best? Shouldn’t you, the boss, be capable of making those decisions? Of course you can…you’re the most qualified, aren’t you?
Let me address the value to the candidate – who has to WANT the opportunity. Forcing or coercing someone into something they are resistant to usually spells failure for them. So if you have that person who wants to learn and grow, you’re halfway home.
Being put in a position where the candidate has to interview for the opportunity, lends added value to the proposition – it’s not just handed to them, they have to earn the right. They will prepare, they will put their best foot forward, they will want to show you they deserve this opportunity.
Next, let’s discuss the value of panel selection interviews as to the mentor/trainers of your potential candidates. Won’t they try harder to help their protégé be better? You can be sure they will take pride in signing off on their “product”…and this will likely improve their own performance.
If some of these mentors are part of the interview panel, they will be far more involved in bringing only the best to the table.
As to your team and developing these high potential candidates – they will take more ownership in the trainees and the program, especially if we involve them in the development and training content. And if one or more of the candidates are their own direct reports, you can be sure they will hold those individuals to a higher standard of excellence since they will be reflecting directly on their boss.
Let’s come back to Training and Development – if you’re going to spend your time with one or two, why not involve a dozen? What’s the worst that can happen? Your choices of finding the best are greater, those people have all developed stronger skills, and you have likely helped a few to learn what level they are best suited for.
Volumes have been written on how to train and develop people, whether for skilled positions or management. What I would like to address is a basic principle for learning that applies to every person, regardless of skill or intelligence level. That principle includes three elements to teaching and learning. First, we have to “Tell” what the behavior is, then we have to show what that behavior looks like, and critically, we must involve the individuals in learning the behavior by doing it. Practice and repetition build the skill. Rest assured, just telling will never get the job done; don’t ever assume it will.
More food for thought…at the end of the development program, when it comes time to promote on or some of these outstanding people, we need to conduct a round of panel interviews to find the best candidate of this fine group whom we want to promote. What better way to find out who is best prepared for the new opportunity than to have a panel work through the interview process together and build a consensus?
Put this all together and we have a situation where everyone wins. The end result is that you can be a more effective leader, you’ve surrounded yourself with high performers, and you’ve built a legacy of building and sustaining high performing teams. You can home and sleep at night!
Presenting - Allow
"The feet are going to be where they are until you get them to where they need to be."
Participants were exploring the concept of leadership authority versus title and the statement was beginning to reflect a whole new meaning as people struggled with how to allow the horse to move forward. The more task focused they were the less successful they felt. People were getting stuck on make.
After two days with legendary horseman Ray Hunt, cowboy logic just seemed to apply when the task overshadowed intent.
Horses have the incredible ability to bring out our desire to see results. We create a plan, see the simplicity and the inherit logic and get frustrated with the lack of progress. What becomes quite clear is that make is not an option with something ten times your size.
So the key question in working with horses is, How do we influence change? How do we allow an activity to look more appealing? A question that parallels what many leaders struggle with these days. Dedicated, hard working and successful, frustrated professionals have shared the same woe "How do you instill desire in others? How do we allow them to realize the satisfaction of a job well done?"
Last month I introduced a three year old colt Rhys. Working with him has been an interesting experiment in making the "allow" look appealing. Once trust was established, it has been incredibly rewarding to see how quickly things have progressed.
Despite pride in his progress, what has changed most is me! I no longer approach a horse with the belief that they should know, but rather with the question "What might the horse's perspective on my request be? Am I setting things up to allow the horse to be successful?"
Rhys may still have his tentative moments but the more I confirm that he can trust me, the more willing he has been to reflect that trust. While there are many statements that could suggest the horseman's perspective, it is the words of Kouzes & Posner which I think best reflect the challenge in working with a young horse.
"Leaders must never take credibility for granted. Credibility is one of the hardest attributes to earn and sustain. It's personal and it's fragile, it's earned minute by minute; month by month; year by year and can be lost in short order if not attended to."
Each horse I have the opportunity to work with confirms there are many pieces to a part. I am also reminded how easy it is to lose trust when emotions get in the way and I assume understanding should be there. I am seeing the importance of waiting to allow the horse to be successful.
Participants were exploring the concept of leadership authority versus title and the statement was beginning to reflect a whole new meaning as people struggled with how to allow the horse to move forward. The more task focused they were the less successful they felt. People were getting stuck on make.
After two days with legendary horseman Ray Hunt, cowboy logic just seemed to apply when the task overshadowed intent.
Horses have the incredible ability to bring out our desire to see results. We create a plan, see the simplicity and the inherit logic and get frustrated with the lack of progress. What becomes quite clear is that make is not an option with something ten times your size.
So the key question in working with horses is, How do we influence change? How do we allow an activity to look more appealing? A question that parallels what many leaders struggle with these days. Dedicated, hard working and successful, frustrated professionals have shared the same woe "How do you instill desire in others? How do we allow them to realize the satisfaction of a job well done?"
Last month I introduced a three year old colt Rhys. Working with him has been an interesting experiment in making the "allow" look appealing. Once trust was established, it has been incredibly rewarding to see how quickly things have progressed.
Despite pride in his progress, what has changed most is me! I no longer approach a horse with the belief that they should know, but rather with the question "What might the horse's perspective on my request be? Am I setting things up to allow the horse to be successful?"
Rhys may still have his tentative moments but the more I confirm that he can trust me, the more willing he has been to reflect that trust. While there are many statements that could suggest the horseman's perspective, it is the words of Kouzes & Posner which I think best reflect the challenge in working with a young horse.
"Leaders must never take credibility for granted. Credibility is one of the hardest attributes to earn and sustain. It's personal and it's fragile, it's earned minute by minute; month by month; year by year and can be lost in short order if not attended to."
Each horse I have the opportunity to work with confirms there are many pieces to a part. I am also reminded how easy it is to lose trust when emotions get in the way and I assume understanding should be there. I am seeing the importance of waiting to allow the horse to be successful.
The Business Benefits Of Customer Relationship Management - CRM
Not only can customer relationship management (CRM) save your business a very considerable amount of both time and money, there are also many other benefits. One of the most important and useful benefits will be the development of better relations with all of your existing customers, which leads to increased sales.
This is possible by being able to better anticipate the specific needs of your customers, based on historic trends. Being able to effectively understand target customer requirements and the cross selling of other products by highlighting and suggestively selling alternatives or enhancements is also another major benefit you will learn with CRM.
With CRM your business will have the ability to go after their specific target market with their communications focusing on their customers’ needs, giving your company a more personal approach. Your company will also have to focus on the development of current products and services so that you will be able to get more customers in the future.
In order to keep your business at the top of its game you need customers satisfaction and retention which will help insure that your company’s great reputation in the market place will continue to be high and also grow with time. Your company will get an increased value from their existing customers while also reducing the cost that is usually needed for supporting and servicing them. This in other words will increase your efficiency while reducing the total cost of sales.
CRM allows your business to take care of its existing customers more effectively while also concentrating your efforts on finding new customers to expand your market. It is best to learn as much as you can about your specific target market so that you can better identify new prospects and increase your total customer base. No matter how successful your business is there is always going to be room for improvement and growth. Your customers’ needs will change over time so you must be on top of the trends.
This is possible by being able to better anticipate the specific needs of your customers, based on historic trends. Being able to effectively understand target customer requirements and the cross selling of other products by highlighting and suggestively selling alternatives or enhancements is also another major benefit you will learn with CRM.
With CRM your business will have the ability to go after their specific target market with their communications focusing on their customers’ needs, giving your company a more personal approach. Your company will also have to focus on the development of current products and services so that you will be able to get more customers in the future.
In order to keep your business at the top of its game you need customers satisfaction and retention which will help insure that your company’s great reputation in the market place will continue to be high and also grow with time. Your company will get an increased value from their existing customers while also reducing the cost that is usually needed for supporting and servicing them. This in other words will increase your efficiency while reducing the total cost of sales.
CRM allows your business to take care of its existing customers more effectively while also concentrating your efforts on finding new customers to expand your market. It is best to learn as much as you can about your specific target market so that you can better identify new prospects and increase your total customer base. No matter how successful your business is there is always going to be room for improvement and growth. Your customers’ needs will change over time so you must be on top of the trends.
Do You Know How to Delegate Effectively?
For business owners, executive team members, managers, and supervisors there is no more important activity than delegation. As a manager, it is your job is to get work done through others.
Delegating work to others is a High Payoff Activity. Therefore, being able to effectively delegate is essential to productivity and the operation of your business. Oh by the way, wives, husbands, friends, associates, and colleagues can become involved in the delegation process too.
This is a skill for both work and life! Here are some ideas to aid you in your delegation.
Manage Your Own Delegation Attitude
Many supervisors I work with believe that their direct reports have too much work to do. So they are hesitant to delegate more. That is a mistake!
You should not judge what another person is capable of accomplishing. Share your plan to delegate work with your delegatee. Ask them to keep a prioritized list of work to be done.
Check with them every week to see what has been done, is not getting done, and is planned to be done the next week. If important tasks are not being accomplished, morph into your role as a productivity coach, delegate to others, or hire a new person to accomplish the uncompleted items.
Your biggest mistake would be to prevent your direct reports from handling additional tasks from which they can learn and grow. Your goal should be to train them up to replace you. That way you are freed-up for promotion.
Plan with Your Delagatee
Sit down with your delegatee and plan out the delegation together. That way questions may be answered, clear expectations established, and assumptions surfaced and explored. Without this, it is likely that communication of the delegated item will be unclear at best.
Make it Written
Writing crystallizes thought and crystallized thought motivates the correct actions and results. Identify and write with your delegatee answers to the following items:
- A very specific and detailed task description
- Benefits to you and to the delegatee
- Training required to enable task completion
- Method of tracking progress
- Progress reporting schedule
- Authority and responsibility assigned
- Trigger boundaries and how to get your re-involvement if or when necessary
Follow-up
Set a schedule for any training, progress reporting, and for reporting the final results or product associated with the delegated task. If it is a recurring task, establish a schedule of reporting the results that will build confidence with you along the continuum of:
- Wait until told- Seek approval and then act- Act and report immediately- Act and report routinely
Many times delegation can lead to undesired results or quality of work that is unacceptable. I call this waste.
Delegate right the first time by thoroughly planning and communicating the delegated item. Then, enjoy the benefits that effective delegation can bring to you and your delegatee.
Delegating work to others is a High Payoff Activity. Therefore, being able to effectively delegate is essential to productivity and the operation of your business. Oh by the way, wives, husbands, friends, associates, and colleagues can become involved in the delegation process too.
This is a skill for both work and life! Here are some ideas to aid you in your delegation.
Manage Your Own Delegation Attitude
Many supervisors I work with believe that their direct reports have too much work to do. So they are hesitant to delegate more. That is a mistake!
You should not judge what another person is capable of accomplishing. Share your plan to delegate work with your delegatee. Ask them to keep a prioritized list of work to be done.
Check with them every week to see what has been done, is not getting done, and is planned to be done the next week. If important tasks are not being accomplished, morph into your role as a productivity coach, delegate to others, or hire a new person to accomplish the uncompleted items.
Your biggest mistake would be to prevent your direct reports from handling additional tasks from which they can learn and grow. Your goal should be to train them up to replace you. That way you are freed-up for promotion.
Plan with Your Delagatee
Sit down with your delegatee and plan out the delegation together. That way questions may be answered, clear expectations established, and assumptions surfaced and explored. Without this, it is likely that communication of the delegated item will be unclear at best.
Make it Written
Writing crystallizes thought and crystallized thought motivates the correct actions and results. Identify and write with your delegatee answers to the following items:
- A very specific and detailed task description
- Benefits to you and to the delegatee
- Training required to enable task completion
- Method of tracking progress
- Progress reporting schedule
- Authority and responsibility assigned
- Trigger boundaries and how to get your re-involvement if or when necessary
Follow-up
Set a schedule for any training, progress reporting, and for reporting the final results or product associated with the delegated task. If it is a recurring task, establish a schedule of reporting the results that will build confidence with you along the continuum of:
- Wait until told- Seek approval and then act- Act and report immediately- Act and report routinely
Many times delegation can lead to undesired results or quality of work that is unacceptable. I call this waste.
Delegate right the first time by thoroughly planning and communicating the delegated item. Then, enjoy the benefits that effective delegation can bring to you and your delegatee.
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