4 Root Causes of Epic Fails

We all know the game-show Jeopardy, where you are given statements and have to determine the question.

Imagine you’re playing ‘Leadership Jeopardy’ with ‘Delegation’ as one of the categories.

“I’ll take Delegation for $500, Bob.” The statements could be any one of the following: 

1. “If you want something done right, do it yourself.”
2. “My team members are all too busy to take on more work.”
3. “I’m too busy to teach them the right way.”
   
   

What is the question? What is: “Why don’t I delegate?”

As leaders, we have two major priorities: to think strategically and to develop our teams. We won’t have time to do the first unless we’re committed to the second.

Today’s Question:

What is your biggest struggle with delegating to your staff?

But Here’s the Twist . . .

The next time you delegate to your staff, spend some time evaluating why previous efforts left you frustrated. There are four root causes of performance failure. Your employee is either:

1. Unaware: Perhaps your employee doesn’t understand the task, your expectations, or what a good result looks like. In this case, you can provide feedback to clarify and raise awareness.
   
   
2. Unable: Does your employee have the skills and training to complete the task well? In this case, you can provide internal or external training and enhance their ability.
   
   
3. Unwilling: When you know the employee has the skills and training, and understands the expectations, but is still not completing the task well, this may be a lack of discipline and motivation. This is often a reaction to poor leadership.
   
   
4. Unsuitable: If you have addressed the first three causes with no improvement, it is time to evaluate if the employee is right for the job.

Many small business owners struggle to find the time and energy to train their staff. When there is a training program, it typically focuses on providing client services, not on foundational skills, like communication and leadership skills.

Setting and managing expectations is a hallmark of effective delegation. When your team understands what success looks like and the expectations you have for achieving it, this puts your business on solid footing and positions it for strategic growth.

Now What?

When you define and communicate your vision, building your company culture around that, you bring clarity, confidence, and control to your company. Within this leadership framework, you can learn new techniques for delegating, giving productive feedback, and holding staff accountable.

Ultimately, every business owner who wants to grow must invest in building communication systems, infrastructure, business processes and training programs that foster expansion as efficiently as possible. This takes leadership – and it builds real business value.

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We can redefine ‘retirement’ and think of your eventual business exit as a ‘purposeful transition’.

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