Page 171 - Becoming a Successful Manager

162 BUILDING ON YOUR FOUNDATION

A main function of managers is to help their employees grow
professionally. Encouraging them to take reasonable risks is a good
way of performing that function.
Simply defined, a risk is any action that could result in adverse

consequences. Fear of adverse consequences is the major deterrent
to taking risks. It’s a defensive reaction, which prevents people from
moving forward. Obviously, it is in your best interest as a man-
ager to reduce or even eliminate that fear among your employees.
How you do that depends on the individual risks with which you’re
concerned.

Delegating Is About Reciprocal Trust

When you delegate an assignment or a project, you incur the risk
that your nominee may lack the appropriate skills or knowledge
to fulfi ll your expectations. For you to feel comfortable delegat-
ing to this person, you must minimize your risk by being sure the
employee has the information, resources, and support necessary
to carry out the designated task. That is, you must be convinced
that you can trust the person to perform.

The employees you choose to put in charge of projects or
assignments are also taking a risk. They’re not sure how you’ll
react if they make mistakes. To reduce their fears, you must make
it safe for them to take the risk of accepting your assignment.
Before this can happen, it’s important that you convince your-
self that effective delegation is good business. In your manager’s

journal, write down the benefits, both to you and to your employ-
ees, of delegating responsibilities to them. Be precise about what’s
in it for you and what’s in it for your employees.