Brilliantly Professional
From the Ask Tom mailbag. Question I have just joined a new company as a project manager and another PM has been assigned as my manager. While this person has been with the company for a while, he is...
View ArticleWhat to Keep, What to Delegate?
From the Ask Tom mailbag: Question: Knowing that Time Span is part of who we are but also develops with maturity, is there anything a manager can do to help a team member develop his/her highest...
View ArticleFaster to Do It Myself
“I know I need to delegate more often, and I try, but I gotta tell you, I am not happy with some of the results,” Julio explained. “It takes longer to delegate than to do it myself. And half the time,...
View ArticleBack In My Lap
“I don’t know,” Julio replied. “I try to delegate as often as I can, but it always ends up, back in my lap.” “Does it seem like you delegate things to your team on Monday and then your team delegates...
View ArticleDelegation Leverage
Julio continued to resist. “The biggest problem with delegation is that it takes too long to explain what I want done. In less time, I can finish the project myself and I don’t have to worry about any...
View ArticleDelegation Chump Change
“Every manager first thinks of delegation as a Time Management tool,” I said. “And it is powerful, but not if you think about it in terms of Time Management.” Julio nodded that he was listening but I...
View ArticleIncrease Your Leverage Ratio
“I don’t understand. Delegation saves time,” Julio puzzled. “Yes, but let’s change the leverage point,” I replied. “Instead of thinking about the benefits to you, as a manager, what are the benefits to...
View ArticleHow to Delegate, Not the Right Question
“I guess I am feeling a little burned out,” Cynthia said. “There is just so much to do, now that I am a manager. I feel stretched, way stretched.” “How did the manager, before you, handle all of this...
View ArticleWhat to Do With Untapped Potential
From the Ask Tom mailbag - Question: What action should we take if we have a person with Stratum IV capability in a Stratum III role? Response: First, I would ask, how do you know? What behavior are...
View ArticleWhat is the Purpose for Delegation?
“So, you have selected something to delegate?” I asked. Marion nodded. ”Yup. I know you have been telling me that I had to get something off of my plate.” “Why did you pick this project?” “You said to...
View ArticleDoes Delegation Save Time?
Emily was already in the conference room when I arrived. “So, what’s the purpose for delegation?” I asked. “That’s easy,” Emily replied. “To save me time. I have a lot of stuff going on.” “And if you...
View ArticleOpen Door Policy Has Nothing To Do With The Door
From the Ask Tom mailbag – Question: A bit frustrated. My role dictates longer time span strategic projects, but I continue to get pulled into tactical issues on smaller pieces of that project, or...
View ArticleThe Problem with Delegation
“How much time do you want to save?” I asked. “I want to delegate this project because my manager told me that I needed to delegate more to my team,” Roger explained. “Why does your manager want you to...
View ArticleRunning Out of Gas
“I know,” Roger replied. “The reason I don’t delegate more is that I don’t have time to teach the skills in the task. If I stop to teach, the ordeal will take 45 minutes and I will still have to do the...
View ArticleHidden Power of Delegation
“So, how much time do you want to save?” I asked again. “It’s going to take me an hour to complete the task. If I can delegate it, it will save me one hour. That’s how much time I want to save,” Roger...
View ArticleThe Key Ring
“Why did you think it was so important to give the key ring to someone else?” I asked. “Because the key ring was a distraction,” Ryan explained. “People would come to me and ask for the key to the tool...
View ArticleKeep the Key, Delegate the Key
“So, you are telling me the key-ring has nothing to do with keys?” I asked. “No more than an open door policy has anything to do with the door,” Ryan replied. “I had to figure out what tasks I need to...
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Onward Thru the Fog
Eduardo was hanging up the phone when I arrived. I could tell he was puzzled. “It’s funny,” he said. “This is the third time I have explained things to my Ron, but it just doesn’t sink in. For two...
View ArticleHow to Destroy Development Opportunities
“You will never, ever get what you want,” I was calm. “You will only get what you focus on. How will you focus? You think you can determine your future, but you can only determine your habits and your...
View ArticleWhat to Delegate, What to Self-Perform?
From the Ask Tom mailbag – Question: Here is what I have noticed about levels of work. When a leader works at a lower (incorrect) level, he/she actually destroys value in the people on the team. The...
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