Leader’sEdge

Delegation: Dumping or empowering?By Brian Kush, CPA, CISA, CITP

Delegating: The often-overlooked basics

Start with the result needed.•Most people do not do this. They begin the discussion with the task or the process or the responsibility. Cut to the chase. Why does this need to happen? What is the result and why does the team and organization need this result? When does it specifi-cally need to happen?

Explain why they are the person •to do this. It may be because you feel they are ready to take on more

responsibility. It may be because there is nobody else available. Whatever the reason, they de-serve to know.

Make the formal request.• Don’t assume they should do something.

Ensure a shared understanding. •Check in before they start to make sure you’re on the same page. Also, co-create account-ability methods. How will you measure progress? How will you

communicate? The more they know (skills) and the more they are enthused (motivation), the less you have to direct.

Capture the delegation. •If you don’t document it, it will be difficult to measure it or track it. Capture the who, what, when and where. Also, if you want to be in a position to acknowledge them later on, you will want all the positive examples (and the details) you can get.

4 Leader’s Edge • Disclosures • September/October

Are you an accountant who is a hermit sitting in a cave with a computer and an Internet con-

nection and able to do all your work without anyone else’s help? If that is the case, skip this article. You are totally self-reliant. There is nobody else in your cave to delegate to and nothing to delegate. All your accomplishments as a (one-person) organization will be depen-dent on ... you.

For the rest of us non-hermits, del-egating is a skill we’ll need to develop over our careers. Have you ever heard the saying “Good leaders delegate?”

Conversely, if you delegate well, does that make you a good leader? Maybe. It is a huge sign that you are influencing others for a common purpose and you are probably modeling strong delegation skills that others will emulate.

So how do we delegate in a way that makes others feel empowered versus just having some tasks “dumped” on them?

We focus a lot on what we want to delegate, and that is important. But, if you want to increase your ability to influ-

ence others, and yes, delegate, focus also on how you delegate.

Inventory what cannot be delegated

For many, deciding what can be delegated is a necessary and sometimes difficult first step. You must first answer this question:

What cannot be delegated?Challenge yourself to specifically iden-

tify what you do that absolutely, posi-tively, under any circumstance, cannot be delegated to anyone else:

What are the activities that you per- •form that are prohibited from being delegated based on the policies in place at your organization? (There is a rule that says you, and only you, must do this.)

What are the activities that can only •be completed by you? Nobody else in your organization has the skills or the potential to complete them. You are the expert and you are the only w

6 Leader’s Edge • Disclosures • September/October

Delegation questionsWhen delegating a task or project, communicate openly with your co-workers:

What questions do you have?•

What do you see as the keys to accomplishing this?•

What might get in the way of you accomplishing this?•

Is there anything that is important that I have failed to tell you about • this?

Are the results we need clear? •

To ensure ownership (while empowering):

How do you “knock this one out of the park?”•

How will we know you have accomplished this?•

What resources do you need to do this that you currently don’t have?•

What is important to you in completing this?•

What will accomplishing this mean to you (and your career)?•

expert, and nobody else can ever make it to your level.

You may be surprised if you perform this exercise just how much of your job can be done by others. Maybe it is most of it!

Decide how you want to be known as a delegator

Great delegators create an environ-ment where people want to be delegated to because they feel respected, valued and empowered. Here is how you get better at this and become a more “attrac-tive” delegator:

AcknowledgeAcknowledging someone’s growth

can be a lot more powerful than thanking someone. You acknowledge someone by pointing out (in timely ways) how they are taking their career to a new level by increasing their skills and capacity. This takes time. This takes being a careful ob-server. You cannot point out to someone how they have grown until you know where they were.

11801 Research Dr. • Alachua, FL 32615 (386) 418-4003 • (800) 543-3029

Fax: (386) 418-4004 • www.cpamutual.com

Beverly K. Bullard • Laura BessMember Services Representatives

Reliability and Service . . . a part of our insurance company

Your clients look for these two traits in you, and our members require them from us.

If you’re not happy with your current professional liability carrier’s reliability or service, call CPA Mutual.

Let us prove to you that there is a difference.

We strive to exceed our members’ expectations.

It’s hard to know who you can trust these days

Leader’s Edge • Disclosures • September/October 7

When another person sees you taking the time to track their growth and take a personal interest in their career, they will appreciate it and they will want to help a lot!

“I noticed how well you did when I gave you that new project. You have come a long way in a short period of time.”

Model how to take delegationEvery once in a while, especially when

your team is working hard, take on a task that might be perceived as “below your level.” Take it on with gusto. If it is someone else’s task, ask for their advice on how to do it. Suddenly, they are giv-ing you instructions or advice.

Focus on learningEvery time you delegate is a learning

opportunity.“I feel like you can handle this now.

You and I can learn some things by having you do it instead of me. I look forward to hearing what you learned.”

Also, don’t be condescending if they falter. Delegating is a “team game” and if someone falters, ensure that both of you are there to learn from it. Don’t run from a misstep or try and ignore it because it is a great learning opportunity. You both will learn and the other person will have more confidence because you took a learning approach when they came up short.

Communicate with enthusiasmOf course you need to be clear. Of

course you need to check in with them to ensure their understanding. But just as importantly, be intentional about the nonverbal messages you send. What are your body and tone saying while you delegate? Are they saying:

You believe this task is boring or •beneath you, and that is why you are giving it to them?

You are stressed? •

You just want to get them out of your •office?

Or are they saying:

You are excited about them taking on •something new?

You believe in their ability to accom- •plish this?

You appreciate what they will do? •

Strong delegators “reverse the lens” by looking at the situation through the view-point of the employee to whom they are delegating. What will be their reaction to this? What will be important for them to know, and what will be important for them to get fully, and enthusiastically, behind this?

Lastly, don’t forget: You cannot improve the way you delegate without soliciting feedback from others. How did you do? If you want to be an “empower-ing” delegator, you will need to find out what makes others feel empowered. Because it’s not the same for everyone, ask them! How did we do? What did we learn?

If you want to get better at not what, but how you delegate, have those to whom you delegate teach you how to do it better!

“Leader’s Edge” is a six-part Disclosures column by Brian Kush, CPA, CISA, CITP, focusing on management, leadership and interpersonal skills essential for CPAs. Brian is a featured VSCPA speaker who travels the state offering in-house CPE courses. Want to learn more or book Brian for your firm or company? Contact VSCPA Customized Education Manager Lydia Sartori at lsartori@vscpa.com or (804) 612-9425.

Successful delegation can begin with appreciation

Try this the next time you delegate something: Express appreciation before they begin!

It’s rare to see heartfelt apprecia-tion expressed in our fast-paced work life. That is (maybe unfor-tunately) why many organiza-tions schedule year-end events to express their gratitude to their employees. That might be a great idea, but it’s the everyday “in the weeds” appreciation that keeps us going.

What is even rarer? To see heart-felt appreciation expressed before someone completes a task or takes on a new role. How can you express appreciation before someone does anything? Easily, you simply tell them how impor-tant this is and how much you appreciate them taking it on. If you have delegated well, you will know if they have bought in and have taken ownership. If you have delegated well, you feel confident in the future results. You trust them to do it right. You believe they will do it right and your appreciation demonstrates that.

Brian Kush, CPA,

CISA, CITP, is a

leadership coach

and president at

Moxie Partners, and

author of “Auditing

Leadership” (Wiley,

July 2009). Contact him at

brian@moxiepartners.com

or (571) 313-1735.