Hit a Home Run when Delegating

I was chatting with a client the other day who was really struggling with two assistants on her team. They both had the same title, and received the same compensation, but they were not performing equally in all areas. One was very good at meeting minutes but consistently late in completing the schedules for which she was responsible. The other excelled at scheduling but never managed to complete her meeting minutes on time. 

My client’s request was to “even them out”, so they could both perform equally in these key areas.

The meeting minutes and the schedules needed to be completed each week. There was enough work for two assistants, and my client wondered why they couldn’t each simply complete their half of the tasks as assigned. That’s what they were hired to do, after all! 

She was accustomed to managing a team in a unionized environment and found the transition to supervising out-of-scope team members more challenging than she had anticipated. I sensed her frustration as we chatted; her voice sped up and sounded higher than usual, and her sentences ran into one another. Her mind was racing to find a solution, but no inspiration magically appeared.

Team Members Aren’t Clones

Even when multiple team members share the same job description, it is uncommon for each of them to perform the exact same tasks, let alone complete them in exactly the same manner. 

One of the joys of leadership is witnessing the strengths of your team shine through in the different ways they accomplish their tasks. Leading others isn’t about forcing them to be clones of each other.

Two Styles, One Team

I knew this client was a big sports fan, so I offered a baseball analogy for her consideration. Imagine two pitchers. They hold the same job title and face the same competition. However, one has a killer fastball and the other mixes it up with a curveball and knuckleball too. Each pitcher excels in their unique style and approach.

In this scenario, the coach is stoked. He’s got two exceptional pitchers, each of whom could be very effective against different teams. He helps each pitcher develop their physical strength and pitching skills to the fullest, and celebrates their unique approaches.

He is not stressed that his pitchers have different skill sets. Instead, he celebrates the variety they bring, as it keeps the competition on their toes. Both players are on the same team,  contributing to the goal of winning games. The team is stronger because of the diversity of their skills.

What’s Really Important?

Here’s what I worked with my client on, and maybe it will help you too!

Get really clear on the level of flexibility you have within the responsibilities of the role. Ask yourself, what aspects of this role are non-negotiable? What deliverables must be achieved without exception?

In the case of a pitcher, they have to be able to pitch effectively. They also have to catch, and throw the baseball at a specific performance level. However, they do not need to be great at batting, or running quickly, or catching long fly balls in the outfield. Other players need those skills, but not pitchers. Additionally, each pitcher can develop their own unique pitching style.

In my client’s situation, there was more flexibility for the assistants on her team than she initially realized. Once she let go of the expectation that each assistant must perform all the same tasks in the same way, she recognized new possibilities. As long as the meeting minutes and schedules got done each week, the business needs would be satisfied.

It didn’t really matter which of the assistants carried out the tasks, as long as they were completed on time and met the required quality standards.

Flexibility is a Winning Strategy

A job description isn’t meant to be a straightjacket, but rather a playbook that provides the team with basic directions while allowing for creativity and flexibility on the field.

Leading a team is not about making its members identical or forcing them to perform the exact same tasks. Instead, it involves recognizing and celebrating their individual strengths so everyone feels like they are part of a winning team.