The title of this post might sound like a recipe for a successful relationship, and it is. But it’s also a recipe for effective management – particularly when it comes to delegation. Managers who delegate effectively need to know a few things about their people:

Their strengths and weaknesses
What they are passionate about and interested in
What motivates them
Their career goals

But managers can know all that and still fail at delegation if they don’t extend trust and ask for commitment.
Listen in to this week’s podcast as Larry Sternberg, Kimberly Shirk and I discuss questions like:
If you’re not good at delegation, how can you get better at it?

What’s your real job as a manager?
Delegating to someone who needs a new opportunity versus delegating to someone who is already better at the task than you are: What do they have in common?
How does trust fit into delegation? And if trust is low, what can you do about it?
What does asking for a commitment have to do with delegation?
If you hate delegating, how will that impact your success and satisfaction in a managerial role?

On all our podcasts and blog posts, you have an opportunity to talk back to us through comments and emails. We hope to hear from you! Until next time, manage to make a difference every day!
+ Larry Sternberg, J.D. and Kim Turnage, Ph.D.

This post highlights Chapters 34 & 35 of Managing to Make a Difference (Wiley), a handbook for hitting the sweet spot of middle management. Next up: Invest Your Time with Top Performers. Connect with Kim Turnage and Larry Sternberg on LinkedIn to see their latest updates.