“Some team members just won’t get the job done well or get it done on time that’s why I do not delegate” Said the supervisor. “Is the issue the people or the process?” I asked. She posed for a minute. “I think it’s both” She said. This discussion was born out of a training discussion on delegation. I took the team through a self-assessment on delegation. Some of them were surprised that their score was below average.
We then sought to debrief on the reason why their delegation was not effective. As expected most of the reasons were around fear. Fear that the work will not be done well, will not be done on time or will not be done at all. One aspect that I emphasize on as far as delegation is concerned is the power of ‘Why’. Before you tell the person what you want them to do tell them why you want it done. Most of the time people focus on what needs to get done (action) and ignore why it needs to get done (Purpose).
The team gladly acknowledged that they only focus on telling the officers what to do. They also acknowledged that sharing the purpose might help. They however felt like sometimes the purpose is obvious and hence does not need to be explained. “Let’s examine a real scenario” I said.
Me: What do you commonly delegate or what would you like to delegate?
Supervisor 1: Reports
Me: What challenge do you experience while delegating the reports?
Supervisor 1: They do not do it on time or the right way.
Me: Do you think giving them a purpose for the reports can change that?
Supervisor 2: They already know! The reports are meant for management meetings.
Me: Lets walk back…How much did you know about management meetings when you were a junior officer?
Supervisor 2: Actually not much..
Supervisor 1: I thought they were a waste of time; managers sitting there the whole day with snacks and still sending us Emails and messages.
Me: What do you wish you knew then that you know now?
Supervisor 1: That the reports were meant to show case our performance and make recommendations for improvements.
Me: Then why are you not passing that information to the officer as you delegate?
Supervisor 1: I actually never thought if it that way. Am not sure if they will all get it though.
Supervisor 2: I actually think they will and may be even improve on the format.
Supervisor 2: Can I also add and tell the person that it’s also because he/she is very good with excel and PowerPoint.
Me: Why not. That is empathy; putting yourself in their shoes.
The tension and argument about delegation came to a positive halt. That’s the power of empathy; The ability to understand and be sensitive to another person’s feelings, thoughts and actions. It is being able to put yourself in the other person’s shoes and imagine or realize how they must be feeling in a certain situation and why they act the way they do.
Empathy involves;
- Empathetic listening – Understand without interrupting and allow the other person to express themselves fully. Ask questions and listen to understand.
- Empathetic body language – Show interest by maintaining eye contact and nodding to show understanding.
- Do not rush to judgement – Ask yourself what it would be like to be in their shoes.
- Validate emotions and feelings – Be genuine. Use statements like; “That must be really difficult,” or “I am sure there are others that would struggle with that as well.”
An empathetic leader is one who has a genuine interest in his/her team member’s lives, the challenges they face and their overall feelings. The one who makes an effort to understand their situations and what they are going through in order to support them. He/She interacts with others in a way that leaves them feeling safe and cared for and as though they have a connection based on trust.
“Empathy is when a person accurately communicates that they see another’s intentions and emotional state. It is watching their frustration and focusing on how life feels in their world while putting your own anger and agenda in the background” Andrea Nail
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