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do that you could do by yourself?” You probably won’t agree to everything, but try to pick one or a few
things to delegate each time. Delegate a balance of routine and important tasks. Delegate whole
tasks rather than parts. People tend to be more motivated when they have responsibility for the
whole. Add the larger context. Tell them why this task needs to be done, where it fits in the grander
scheme, and its importance to the goals and objectives of the unit. Give people the appropriate level
of authority required to carry out the task. Fail to do that and you render them powerless. Give them
too much and you risk inappropriate decisions being made. Delegate things that others do well or
better than you. Delegate tactical; keep strategic. Delegate short-term; keep long-term. You’ll get
more work done when you delegate than you ever will alone.

4. Struggling to get people motivated? Set stretching goals. Most people prefer to do things that
stretch them rather than things they could do in their sleep. Setting easy goals may seem like a good
thing to them and you in the short-term. But it won’t motivate people to move out of their comfort
zone. To push performance beyond their current best. Research indicates that having a challenging
goal actively encourages a person to achieve more. To work hard toward higher standards of
performance. To have more confidence in their ability to rise to tough challenges. Facilitate growth in
others by assigning tasks that contain stretching elements they’ve not done before. Start by
understanding their current level of skill and asking, “What task or goal can I assign them that
requires a step beyond what they’re doing today. That makes the most of the skills they have but is
slightly bigger than their current capabilities?” Make sure that the task will stretch them, not break
them. If they think it’s far beyond their capacity, they will be less engaged and not motivated to try.

Want to learn more? Take a deep dive…
Chinn, D. (n.d.). How to motivate employees using E. A. Locke’s goal-setting theory. Chron.

Mind Tools. (n.d.). Successful delegation. Mind Tools.
Saunders, E. G. (2012, October 30). Stop being a people-pleaser. Harvard Business Review Blog
Network.
Zwilling, M. (2013, October 2). How to delegate more effectively in your business. Forbes.

5. Leaving people confused? Give clear direction and accountability. Are people unclear about
what’s expected of them? Are you just too busy? Do you communicate to some and not to others? Or
think they’d know what to do if they were any good. Whatever the reason, leaving people without
clear direction and accountability will lead to frustration, low engagement, a job poorly done, and
rework. People need to know which direction to go and what you expect to happen. What does the
outcome look like? When do you need it by? What’s the budget? What resources do they get? What
are they accountable for? Not accountable for? What decisions can they make? What are the
checkpoints along the way? How will success be measured? What role will you take? What are the
rewards and consequences of success and failure? Reflect on recent projects or tasks that have
required you to direct others. How well did you communicate direction and accountability? Ask those
you’re communicating with to reflect their understanding of what you’ve said. Checking for
understanding gives you opportunity to clarify any misunderstandings and ensure everyone sets off in
the right direction.

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