doing more with less Archives

No matter what the project is, it seems as though everyone is asking to do more with less. There seems to be increasing pressures on scarce resources and demands on time. Team members are becoming exhausted and overworked and morale and motivation of the team are going down. Is it even possible to do more with less without impacting quality?

When it comes to doing more with less, it really comes down to being efficient and productive and paying attention to the smaller details. How do we do that? We do this by examining the processes, the resources, the demands, the risks, and the timelines. No one wants to sacrifice the quality of their work as it impacts the reputation of being known for delivering the end results. If you manage a project, you know that you need to really streamline your deliverables and processes all while continuing to motivate your team and keep your stakeholders informed. You must be focused to ensure that none of the deliverables that you are juggling fall out of place.

There are several things that you can do to become more productive and do more with less:

Take on fewer projects on or prioritize deliverables. It is important to identify what is critical to a project to get the outcome desired. It is about keeping things simple in a complex system. Using smart goals to map out the plan.
Communicate with your team and your stakeholders on a regular basis. It is important to clarify responsibilities, processes, expectations, and the delivery of feedback. Everyone needs to be kept in the loop. It is also important to communicate what roles and responsibilities need to be delegated to ensure the team is focused on their strengths and what they’re going to be delivering.
Eliminate any waste by using lean thinking. Clear off your plate of any unfinished projects and determine if they’re still important. Delegate them if you need to. Eliminate any distractions so that you are completely focused on the work at hand. It is recommended that you keep a time log or journal of the time spent on deliverables. You will be surprised at where some of the time wasted actually goes. Remember to ensure that people are given the appropriate role and responsibility to carry out what needs to be done.
Brainstorm your options with your team and stakeholders. When times need to be tighter because everyone has a certain amount of money and resources to work with, you will need to get creative and innovative with your solutions. Draw on the experience and expertise of your people. They are your secret weapon.
Make effective decisions. Gather your facts, statistics, and information. Learn what your team members think and feel about the options available and gain an understanding of the emotions involved in the decision. Ask yourself if you are bottlenecking the process because you have the need to approve every detail. Can you offload some of the responsibility to your team members?
Measure and manage your deliverables and outcomes. What you measure can be managed. Keep track of time, money, and the efforts of your people. Readjust your course accordingly as you evaluate at certain milestones along the way.
Keep your team motivated. Celebrate the launch of your projects. Take time to acknowledge and praise your team members and your team’s accomplishments. You need to create a compelling vision that your team will be inspired by. They need to feel a part of the vision and that their role is meaningful and important in getting to the end result.

As you are working with your teams and stakeholders, you will be able to develop creative and innovative solutions in learning how to do more with less. In times of change, you may feel that is all you are doing. There may be times that you will be surprised by how much you can get done and have a team that is truly satisfied with the quality of their work and the efforts they put in. How are you going to do more with less on your next project?

DEBRA KASOWSKI, BScN CEC is an award-winning best-selling author, transformational speaker, blogger, and Certified Executive Coach. She has a heart of a teacher and is certified in Appreciative Inquiry and Emotional Intelligence. Her writing has been published in a variety of print and online magazines. Debra Kasowski International helps executives, entrepreneurs, and organizations boost their productivity, performance, and profits. It all starts with people and passion. Sign up the Success Secrets Newsletter and get your free mp3 download today! www.debrakasowski.com

“If you want to do a few small things right, do them yourself. If you want to do great things and make a big impact, learn to delegate.”
― John C. Maxwell

Throughout my career, I have witnessed several forms of delegation. Some leaders were very effective at delegation whereas others were not so effective. If you think of some of the leaders or managers you have worked with, you can probably tell us why each person was more effective at delegating than the other. What did the effective manager or leader do differently?

Delegation can be a very powerful tool in empowering employees and assigning work to the most appropriate person with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to produce the best work. When I was learning how to do CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation), one of the first steps you do is to call for help and better yet if someone else is available you would say, “You in the blue shirt go call 911. Are you going? Get back to me.” The instruction is very specific and ensures that the person is going to follow through. Delegation is not sending an email and pleading for help. You may not know if the person or group of people have read the email, what their capacity is, or what their skill set or interests are.

During a time when employees and leaders are asked to do more with less, delegation is the key to allowing you to focus on where your greatest return on investment is.

Are there tasks that others can do better than you?

Are there tasks that require only your attention?

Are there tasks or research that can be done before you make a decision?

If you said “Yes” to any of the questions, you can start delegating some tasks to others but keep the following secrets of effective delegation close at hand:

Set clear expectations of roles and responsibilities. If the person you delegate a task to does not understand what their roles is or what the expectations are, they are bound for failure. As the captain at the head of the ship, you will go down as well if you do not course correct. Clear expectations minimize disappointments and misunderstandings. How much freedom does the person have to make decisions? Do they have to check in with you or the team before proceeding? Empower the people who work for you by letting them know what you need.
Share your vision of what you want to accomplish. The more specific you can be about what you wish to accomplish, the more clarity you provide to your people. They will be better able to help you accomplish the vision. They may even have suggestions in how to achieve it. When your people share your vision, they will be motivated to help achieve it because it has importance to them.
Ensure you delegate the whole task and set milestones for check in and progress. There is nothing worse than someone delegating something and then watching or questioning your every move. Delegation is not micromanagement. Micromanagement is suffocating and stumps creativity and innovation. The person you delegated to will feel as though you do not trust them to get the job well.
Delegate the right work to the right person. Delegation is about providing meaningful work where a person feels they are taking on more responsibility not just adding to the amount of work they already have. Delegate to the person who has the knowledge, skills, and abilities to do the job well. Reassure them that you will be there to support them if required. Not only will they feel empowered but you as the leader will also look like a superstar!
Be specific. When assigning a task, ensure the person has all the information and resources to get the job done. Ask them to repeat back to you what you have asked them to do. Clarification ensures that the person you delegated to have a clear understanding of what it is you want done. People cannot read your mind so tell them what you want.

People often have more skills and abilities than what you may give them credit for. Chances are the people who work for you have a greater potential than they are even aware of. Why not safely empower, stretch them, and build their capacity to do great things?

“If we all did the things we are really capable of doing, we would literally astound ourselves.”

― Thomas A. Edison

What delegation skills have you gained that make you an effective manager or leader?

How to Do More with Less on Your Next Project

5 Secrets of Effective Delegation