In the News

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Are We Becoming a Nation of Boiled Frogs?

       They say if you put a frog in water and increase the temperature of that water slowly, the frog will gradually cook to death without ever producing a survival reaction to protect itself. Because the change of temperature is so gradual and insidious, the frog doesn’t realize death is encroaching.

     I thought of that poor frog recently when I chanced upon a news release from the International Labor Organization stating U.S. workers, when compared to major European countries, put in as much as 500 more hours on the job each year.

     That is the equivalent of twelve and a half extra 40-hour weeks. This is a pretty sobering thought. And our plight is worsening. According to the ILO, the average American’s annual work schedule has increased by nearly 40 hours since 1990.

     With all this time carved out for work, the scale is tipping frightfully out of balance between our work and our personal lives. Taking work home to tackle in the evening or over the weekend is a common phenomenon for many employees. We also find work chewing into our free time through evening meetings, working lunches, and weekend retreats.

     So what are we doing about it? Nothing it seems, we’re just like the frog. The water temperature is rising to a point that it is slowly cooking us.

     So, what should we do about it? Well, the good news is we don’t have to jump out of the pot altogether. In other words, we don’t have to trade personal fulfillment for professional success. We can achieve success and still reclaim our personal lives. But it is critical for us to decrease and manage the water temperature.

     That's just why I wrote the book If You Want It Done Right, You Don’t Have to Do It Yourself!: The Power of Effective Delegation. It shows you how to regain control of your workload allowing you more time to do the things that are important to you.

     How do we keep from getting cooked?

     If you manage other people, the first step is to closely look at the different responsibilities of your job and delegate all but the critical few. This allows you to focus on what is truly important versus getting bogged down in fighting the day-to-day fires. The second step is to increase productivity and efficiency by ensuring that every delegated task is done right the first time. This means communicating the critical features of the task and asking your delegatee to paraphrase back what he or she heard so you can check his or her understanding. Third, periodically check in to see that the task is being done right. Checking in gives you the opportunity to correct any problems, provide necessary guidance and ensure the result will be successful. The final step involves holding a debriefing session on how things went. This allows you to learn what worked and what needs fine-tuning in a way that creates even greater efficiency and productivity.

     But what about those of us who are not managers?

     If you are a victim of ineffective delegation, there’s hope for you too! You can apply the steps of effective delegation upward with your manager, making sure you have all the information you need to get the job done right the first time.

     First, repeat back to your manager what you understood his or her expectations for the delegated task or project to be. Discuss it until you are absolutely clear; make the final result almost visible in your mind. Second, ask your manager to clarify the deadline and where this task falls in level of priority with other tasks you have to do. Third, ask what level of authority you have on the task or project. Can you own it completely or does he or she want to be kept informed? Finally, schedule checkpoints for discussing progress as you go along. These checkpoints help you make necessary adjustments as you are completing the task and ensure the end result is exactly what your manager is looking for.

     Whether we are a manager, an employee who is managed, or both, we can create a thermostat to control the water temperature. Learning and practicing the power of effective delegation can not only keep us from getting cooked, it can help us achieve professional success and reclaim our personal lives.

Donna M. Genett, Ph.D., is president of GenCorp Consulting, and author of If You Want It Done Right, You Don’t Have to Do It Yourself! The Power of Effective Delegation (Quill Driver Books, 800-497-4909, www.WantItDoneRight.com)