S2 E86: How Collaboration leads to a win-win for leaders and teams

“Here's the deadline and this is how I want you to do it.  And if you don't do it the way I want, you may have to do it over and over until it’s right.” 

As a team member, there's nothing more demotivating than this. A+ talent will not hang around to find out what the next job is and the step by step ‘how’ you want it done. 

In today's podcast episode we explore leadership methods, and how one can lead to a spiral of unenjoyment and damaged working relationships, while the other can set you and your team up for continued success. 

Delegation is a kind of a top-down experience: we're giving people the leftovers---telling them how work is to be done, often in an area where we’re not our best.  Whereas, collaboration creates a win-win situation that allows our teammates to thrive using the gifts where they are most talented. 

How can we create this kind of collaboration within our teams and kick the word delegation to the curb? It's a four-step process. 

1. Clarify what the desired result of this role or project or assignment looks like. 
2. Follow this up with why  this role makes a difference.
3. List the consequences of not taking action and the benefits of taking action now.
4. Pick a future point,(whether it's three months, six months, or twelve months away) and  then list out four to six success criteria for this role or position to complete in this time. 

Now notice, the word ‘how’ is not used in any of these descriptions? We leave the ‘how’ to the team member we’ve hand-selected because this IS their area of expertise. 

Want to learn more? Listen to our full episode linked here! 

If you'd like to get started on your own for love of team journey, reach out via email, at winston@winsightz.com with the subject line Multiplier Max, and we'll be glad to send you out a sample of our fillable PDF.

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Transcript

Winston Faircloth: 0:00

Here's the deadline. And this is how I want you to do and if you don't do it the way I want to, you may get to do it several times in a row. There's nothing more demotivating than that a plus talent will not hang around to find out the next house. Either multipliers it's Winston Faircloth, and this is for love of team, the podcast where leaders simplify teamwork, helping you surround yourself with teammates doing the work they love, simplifying your business processes so that you can serve more doing the work you love. So today, we're going to talk about one of my least favorite words. Can you guess, you know, you know, in the for love of team dictionary, there are some words that come from the last century of management and leadership that we just want to take a big black marker and scratch out delegations, one of those. So here we go. I know it might be hard to believe, but delegating won't actually help you in your business. And I know you think it might, most coaches and gurus and experts, they talked about how the key to growth and scaling is delegation, hire team, delegate, this is how you grow and stay in your zone of genius. Well, that's what we hear day in, day out, podcast, LinkedIn training, you name it, everybody points to delegation. But let's bring this a little closer to home. Let me ask you a question. Is delegating tasks to your partner a helpful strategy and getting things done at home? If you're like most couples on no way? Mm hmm, probably not. In fact, if you simply tried delegating a task to your partner to offload something from your own to do list, it might actually backfire and cause more problems than having a long honeydew list. Take it from me who's had his challenges over the years and relationships. delegation, to somebody you love and respect and collaborate with is not the way to go. In fact, sometimes you can get a response that isn't so pleasant. In earlier season of life. When I wasn't as steady and helpful, I wasn't as helpful as I could be. I remember when I was being delegated the task of loading the dishwasher, add load the dishwasher certain way. And then inevitably, my partner would reload the dishwasher in a different way. And if I didn't do exactly the way I was instructed, it was it was rejected. My work was rejected. And after a while, it's like, Well, you know what, you just know how to do it better than me, you just take it on. But you could. That wasn't the recipe for great partnership. But that's kind of how delegation works in our businesses. And sure, your business isn't the same as a relationship with your partner. A business is about relationships. And if you're listening to this podcast, you probably already believe that the relationships with your team is so important. And when it comes to relationships, true success actually comes from collaboration, not delegation. So what I mean by this concept of collaboration, well, I believe that the what we're asking folks to do is way more important than the how the word delegate to me connotes some schlepping of something you hate doing after somebody else is offloading something that you dislike to a fellow team member. And I'm sure anybody with a corporate background can relate to having something schlepped off to you, even if it wasn't something that you were really good at. Collaborating with. A team member, on the other hand feels completely different. It's a new type of energy. Because we're intentionally connecting people with unique giftings, who actually love doing the task that you don't love doing, connecting those gifts with tasks that they're already well gifted to do. Giving them that task helps everyone on the team thrive. In fact, when you ask a team member to support you in this way with something they already love doing something they're talented at. You give them a special assignment at work, which makes them love doing the work that they do. Your team member thrives and stays in their zone. Genius just like you do. So collaboration creates a win win situation. Whereas delegation is really kind of a top down experience. And we're giving people the leftovers. So I asked you how can we create this kind of collaboration within our teams and kick the word delegation to the curb? I think it's a four step process. Number one, clarify what the desired result of this role or project or assignment looks like. You can do this in three to five bulleted statements, which describe the most significant contributions this role or project will bring to your overall team and business. So this first what the desired result is looking at the overall team, what are the most significant contributions this role or project will bring to the overall team and business? Next, follow this up with why this role makes a difference. And here, I think it's really important to use impactful words, words that uplift inspire, not only the team member with the role, but the rest of the team to paint a very vivid picture with this why. And this this step honestly, is been the one that is taken me the longest to appreciate, in connecting with and working with collaborators, great collaborators, not only need that initial what that context of what's going on and how it's going to shift and move the business. But understanding the why behind it, how it connects to a larger why your vision, but also this particular project, what is its why what what is it unique? Why in the organization, this why this why statement, I think, is probably the most powerful part of this exercise. Because the more you dial that up with impactful words, uplifting, inspiring words, it will unleash this kind of creativity, and you just can't factor in at the beginning of a project. Third, paint a picture. And this is another vivid section, paint a picture of the consequences of not taking action. And the benefits of taking action. Now, the contrast between these two are really striking. There are there are definite consequences for not moving forward with the project. And their benefits by taking action quickly. And writing both of those up and seeing those side by side. After knowing what the what is overall for the organization, What the Why is that makes a difference. And now these consequences for not taking action in the benefits for taking action quickly gives a very compelling narrative, very compelling story for the project for the person that you're handing this project to. And finally, step four, pick a future point, whether it's three months, six months, or 12 months away, pick that point in the future. And then list out four to six success criteria for this role or position. Now usually state these as what does success look like? So that means that it's observable, it's measurable. Someone who is not a part of this project, not a part of this role, should be able to check a box. By the way we write these success statements, and be able to say we did accomplish it or we did not accomplish it. So the four things again, clarify that what the desired result looks like. Again, three to five bulleted statements not a big paragraph, not a not a book. Second, describe why this role will make a difference using impactful uplifting and inspiring words. Third, paint a picture of the consequences of not taking action and the benefits of taking action now. And then forth with that future point in the future three, six or 12 months away, lists four to six success criteria for the roller position in a form of what does success look like. Now notice, all of these things are very brief descriptions, typically three to five bullets in each of these areas. And this means that you're going to have to edit and prune get down to the essence of what makes this important. Now within our team, we use a document we call the multiplier max. It's all of this is on one page of a fillable PDF and it's a great Road Map, being able to write out all of these elements. And to see it on one piece of paper is an amazing tool for clarity. Now notice, if you paid attention here, I never used the word how, in any of these descriptions, because we leave the How to the team member, who are who is bringing their unique gifts and experiences to improve our organization, their cultural ads, we talked about that before. This is and if we can stay in the what and the why which all four of these statements really focus in that area, the house are left to the collaborator. So like my dishwashing example, above the dishwasher, you know, the how the dishwashing got done, was where the conflict existed, not the what, not the why he was in the how. And I think delegation fundamentally focuses on the how, think about the things you've been delegated in the past, how much of that delegation really gave you a purpose gave you that what gave you context, explain that. Why gave you measurable success, so that you could navigate your own path to that success, my experience has been very limited to have I've been on the receiving end of an opportunity like this. Most of the time, it's, here's the deadline. And this is how I want you to do and if you don't do it the way I want to, you may get to do it several times in a row. There's nothing more motivating than that. And a plus talent will not hang around to find out the next how you want things done. So here's the bottom line. Here's the consequence. If you want to keep down the delegation road, you can keep capping your growth in business and dealing with frustrated team members and doing things you hate yourself. Or you can start collaborating using multiple IRA Max is a framework and watch your business thrive. And if you'd like to get started on your own for love of team journey, reach out to me via email, when at wind sites wi n si gh t z.com with the subject line multiplier Max, and we'll be glad to send you out a sample of our fillable PDF. Or you can text me with the words multiplier Max 21744 894 61. That's my personal cell number 1-754-800-9461 we'd love to send you a copy of the multiplier Max and get you on the journey to building a team you love. Have collaborators who are bringing the unique gifts, talent and experience to your clearly defined what and why leaving the hell to them and finally remembers leaders simplify teamwork, multiplying your impact your income and freedom in business. I hope you'll be blessed friends. We'll catch you on the next episode.