It is not unusual for a manager to not care why one of their direct reports does the work, only that the work gets done. There is an element of truth in this. However, you, as a manager, also care how well the work gets down. Team members that are committed to the objective produce better work than those that are merely complying with directives from above.
Compliance
Compliance is the acquiescing to another’s direction or request. This is why the word is used so readily when it comes to regulations and policy. No one is truly happy about having to comply with policy, despite what they may say. The policy was unnecessary, if you were going to do it anyway. When you are working to comply with a faceless policy or an apparently pointless task, you are not putting your best self into the work.
This is true for your direct reports as well. When you merely direct them to do work, you get compliance. A team working solely on compliance will generate little creative thought and be doing as little as possible to still get paid. This mode of tasking and delegation will not yield the results you want. You will foster an environment where you will have to answer question after question as things pop up. You will get any of the benefits of delegating.
Commitment
What you desire from your team is that they are committed to seeing the objective met. They are working the task or project because they have bought into the vision. People working in this mode will try to solve problems as they arise instead of seeking guidance and permission for every minor obstacle. Here are a couple simple behaviors you can engage in to get more commitment from your team.
Communicate the vision
Rather than just telling your direct report do do a task, communicate the vision or end state you are trying to achieve. Let her know why you want a task to get done. You cannot expect your team to share your vision or goals if you never tell it to them. Share the reasoning behind why you are trying to achieve a specific goal. The more you can get your team to buy into the “why” of the task, the easier it will be to provide guidance and set them loose on the problem.
Ask, don’t tell
Ask your direct report if they can take on the task or project. Telling them to do so is within your roll power as the manager. But if you get them to agree to it, you will get them to commit emotionally to the task. “I will be there at 10 o’clock” carries more weight than “I was told to be there at 10 o’clock.” The first is when your direct report says, “yes,” to your request. The second is when you do all the talking and they simply write it down.
Conclusion
Commitment is more powerful than compliance. Doing simple things like asking them for help and telling them the why will get them more committed to the task than if you had simply directed them to do the work.
Additional Resources
- RP: What to Delegate
- RP: Delegate Does Not Mean Done
- The Effective Manager by Mark Horstman