Delegating to Your New Executives

Copyright © 2008 Ed Bagley

Female executives who are bold and aggressive do not rise up the corporate ladder as quickly as you may think. Bold and aggressive traits do not naturally match well with intelligence and savvy. Given the fact that there are many more male executives than female executives, being bold and aggressive gets fewer promotions on the way up.

Female executives who use a self-confident but much softer, indirect approach do not highlight or reinforce any pre-conceived notions that they might be too bold, too aggressive or too judgmental for a higher position.

Remember that men, and especially male executives, do not like aggressive, judgmental women (it may even remind them of their wife in some cases). The expression is: Behind every successful man is a strong and cooperating woman, and we surely do hope it is his wife because too often it is his mistress.

Men like women who are assertive but not aggressive. A man sees an intelligent, assertive woman as completing him, not challenging him. Remember that men do not know how to handle aggressive women, they do not have any centuries-old database other than that the man leads, the woman follows. Their ego does not allow them to treat aggressive women any differently than men.

If they perceive that you are aggressive, they will treat you as they do men, they will rip out your jugular vein and walk over you to the next corporate competitor in the boardroom. Here are some things to consider:

First, female executives should never, under any circumstances, devalue any core competencies of a male executive. Try to reinforce any good trait that a male executive has that you have. Why? Because he psychologically cannot deny himself. If he is detail-oriented and you are detail-oriented, and he criticizes you for being so, he is criticizing himself during the process. Male executives who are smart and successful will not criticize you in this circumstance. He will rather like you for being so as well.

Second, if the male executive has weak people skills, make it your business to bring a wonderful (not challenging but supporting), uplifting, positive presence to his office. In other words, COMPLEMENT his weakness, just as he would want his spouse to do.

Some guys are perceived as a man's man, like Arnold Schwarzenegger and Howie Long. They ooze macho. They are good guys, nice guys, but if you even think about testing them, they will knock you on your backside. You know better than to even try. Their image is secure and intact.

There are some male executives who appear secure and smart in what they are doing, but they cannot handle harsh criticism or ANY criticism. Their ego is that fragile. If you criticize them harshly and embarrass them in the process, they will quietly quit what they are doing and find a reason to go elsewhere. Schwarzenegger and Long will see to it that your face gets messed up as they move on WITHOUT you.

It is wise to know the difference between these two types of male executives.

Just as in writing resumes, female executives who get to the top of the corporate world know it is not so much what they say, but how they say what they say that counts most.

If you are, as I suspect, a "solopreneur," meaning you handle everything from opening your business in the morning to signing checks and taking out the trash, I have a wakeup call for you. You could be doing a whole lot better. By being the only person in your business, you're likely missing the bigger picture (it's hard to plan strategy when you're putting price tags on inventory).

I've talked before about delegating, but here I want to talk about working with mentors and consultants. I am a marketing consultant, and I fill that role of someone for business owners to bounce ideas off of. I falsely assumed because I consult that I don't need my own consultant. (Don't you hate those "oh duh" realizations?) I've worked with a few business coaches who have helped me see my business in a different light, and who have given me ideas based on their own experience that I wouldn't have come up with on my own.

Here are some reasons you shouldn't (and can't) do everything:
1. You're not good at everything. Accept it.
2. You can't see your business for the trees. Get someone to help who can see the whole picture.
3. You have enough going on!
4. It will make your business stronger.

I also recently contacted SCORE, who offer free mentoring to business owners. I look forward to speaking with a professional who can help round out the ideas I'm developing for my business' growth.

My husband, too, has served as a great resource for new ideas and motivation. He knows me well enough to know what areas I'm weak in, and helps me fill out the holes in my plan. (He's so good, I'm even paying him for his advice! but sorry, he's not for sale.)

Who do you have who can help you with your business? It doesn't have to be a professional coach, if that's not in your budget. It can be a family member, or someone at a small business organization. Here are some ideas to get your wheels turning.

* Friend or former co-worker
* Family member (if you think you can work well together; it's not always the case!)
* SCORE
* Women's Business Center
* Local small business support groups
* Networking groups
* Someone who's been in your field for years

Adults with ADD are not "wired" for details. We're creative-types, entrepreneurs, inventors, idea generators, and big picture thinkers.

When an adult with ADD is confronted with too many details to tend to, overwhelm quickly sets in. This is not a character flaw - it's quite simply just not what we're wired for.

There is actually a simple solution for dealing with details, and it might surprise you: don't deal with them.

A truly successful adult with ADD knows how to delegate the details, in both the personal and professional realms. But many ADDers struggle with delegation. When coaching clients to delegate the details (projects, tasks, and chores) that overwhelm them, there are three common objections that I hear.

Objection #1: Cost

A client has an online business that has a loyal customer base. He sells a lot of merchandise, and has been doing all the order processing by himself! This means taking care of the order fulfillment, the shipping, and the customer service - all on his own! He was reluctant to delegate order fulfillment to a company that supplies such services because he was afraid it would cost too much money.

Delegating this type of ongoing task to a service company certainly will cost some money, but it's an investment in the client's piece of mind and the company's future. When the details of order fulfillment are taken care of, he is free to focus on what he does best - business development. The business then grows, more money comes in, and the cost of the fulfillment company is more than made up for in sales and growth.

Objection #2: Perfectionism

Another client is a single mom who is a partner at a top-notch law firm. She works a lot of hours, and does her best to spend quality time with her two teenagers. But she was also spending a lot of time stressing - and I mean stressing - about how clean her house was (or wasn't). She was reluctant to delegate house cleaning to a professional cleaning person or to her kids because she thought it would take too much time to explain how she likes it all done.

This is perfectionism - she's not willing to let go of a task and let someone run with it. This client felt that if the house wasn't cleaned her way, it wouldn't be cleaned right. In order for her to delegate this, she had to trust in a professional cleaning service, and in her kids, and just let go of the responsibility altogether.

As a result, this client has found that her relationship with her kids has improved. They certainly did object when she first delegated certain daily responsibilities to them, but her stress level has decreased tremendously and that has had a very positive effect on her relationship with her kids.

Objection #3: Taking Care of Others

Another client is the president of a professional organization and is in charge of a big annual event. As the lead person on this event, she needs to delegate a lot of work, or it simply won't get done! But she had a lot of guilt about delegating projects without first "cleaning them up." Instead of handing over a file and saying "Here you go, this is what I need, please figure it out," she was spinning her wheels trying to clean up the file and make the project as simple as possible.

In this example, the client is not really delegating, because she's too busy taking care of the people helping her. It's very considerate, but doesn't move her project forward. Politely delegating projects, chores, and tasks is not mean, rude, or unreasonable - it's necessary, especially in the position that this client was in. Without delegation, nothing would get done.

In order to lower stress and ensure success, adults with ADD should ask themselves on a regular basis "What would I really love to delegate, and how can I go about delegating it immediately?"

Copyright (c) 2007 Jennifer Koretsky

Delegating: Don’t be a Chicken

By Judith E. Pearson, Ph.D.

Do you remember the Little Red Hen? She wanted to bake some bread. She asked some friends to help with the various tasks, such as harvesting the wheat, taking it to the gristmill, gathering the ingredients, and making the dough. All her friends refused. The Little Red Hen replied “Then I will do it myself.” On the day when the delicious smell of freshly baked bread wafted out of the Little Red Hen’s kitchen, her friends arrived, asking for some. The Little Red Hen flatly refused to share her bread, of course.

Although we can admire the Little Red Hen for her industriousness, we can also wonder why her attempts at delegation and teamwork failed. The Little Red Hen wasn’t a leader. She didn’t know how to create a team or share her vision.

For business owners and managers, delegation is an essential skill, and a leadership responsibility. The hazards of doing everything yourself can include burnout and missed deadlines. You may get stretched too thin, or find that you don’t have all the skills needed for the job. That’s when it’s time to delegate.

Delegating multiplies your effectiveness, so you can use your time and talents where they make a difference. Besides streamlining your work and saving time, delegating teaches you to communicate persuasively, supervise and train, and expand your sphere of influence. It means building and maintaining a team. In the long run, delegating may help you make even more “bread!”

How do you get people to share the work and take on extra projects? How do you get people to share your vision and goals? How do you delegate?

At this point you may be thinking, “Look, I pay people to do their jobs---so all I have to do is tell them what to do and they will do it.” People want more than a salary. They want job satisfaction. Job satisfaction is especially important in small businesses where the “staff” may be family members, volunteers, part-timers, and employees who wear multiple “hats,” and the where compensation may not be luxurious.

You can help your staff stretch their talents, and grow through teamwork, new skills, and problem solving. Delegating gives more people a stake in the outcome. Delegation is more than hiring and managing people---it is guiding, inspiring, and motivating them. Here are six steps for doing it superbly.

1. Select people for the job, and motivate them

Define the scope of the work based on the outcomes, products, and deliverables. Break out the tasks or steps that will accomplish the work. Decide on project milestones and define realistic completion dates for each one. Then delineate the steps for each task and decide how the skill sets that are needed.

Next, identify the people for each task. Look for dependability and motivation as well as skill. The way you present a task can bolster someone’s willingness to participate, or to stretch beyond their comfort zone, and follow through. When you delegate a new job to someone, covey enthusiasm and emphasize the importance of the project in a positive manner. Describe the task to people in ways that appeal to their needs and values.

Abraham Maslow, the father of humanistic psychology, defined basic human needs (in hierarchical order) as survival, security, love and belonging, self-esteem, achievement and mastery, and self-actualization. People are motivated when an assignment matches their priority needs. For example, to appeal to the need for belonging, say “We want you on our team.” For self-esteem, say, “Your unique talents will make this project a success.” For achievement, say “I’m asking you to stretch your comfort zone and succeed at something you never thought you could do.”

Self-actualization is the highest human need. With self-actualization, people are maximizing their potential and enhancing their self-concept. Self-concepts are based on values. Your values define who you think you are, what you believe in, your attitudes, and the things you like to do. To motivate a person at the level of self-actualization, appeal to their highest values.

To know someone’s values, get to know the person. Ask people about themselves and listen. A few years ago I was an Area Governor in my local Toastmasters district. I reported to Evelyn Jane Burgay, one of the most motivating leaders I’ve known. “E.J.” was the first woman ever to win the Toastmaster’s International Speaking Championship in worldwide competition. She was an outstanding District Governor. She and her seeing-eye dog, Duchess, were welcome everywhere they went. Although E.J. was blind, she had a remarkable way of seeing how people were “on the inside.” She once told me “You have to know what makes people tick.” She somehow figured out that I liked learning new things. When she called me to work on a special project she did not say “Judy, I have a job for you.” Instead she said “Judy, I have a learning opportunity for you.” She usually got people to say “Yes.”

2. Match the person to the task

You compliment people when you ask them to take on a task that matches or expands their skills. People enjoy showing off what they know. Again, to make the match, get to know people. Find out about their experience, education, hobbies, and training. If you are organizing a team or committee, make sure the members have a good mix of talents and strengths. Some people work well with little supervision, while some expect routine guidance. Some like working with technical details, while others like working with global concepts. Some excel in the limelight, while some work well behind the scenes. Structure your group with diversity and balance.

3. Define project tasks and communicate them clearly

Clearly communicate to each team member the purpose of the project, his or her responsibilities, and the schedule. Specify and quantify what you expect for the final outcome and/or interim products. Example: “We need 100 copies of an eight-page report by September 1.” Give people outlines, checklists, and diagrams.

Explain how each task dovetails with, or supports, or is contingent on other tasks. Provide access to or direct people to relevant reference materials such as training manuals, users’ guides, and workbooks. Ask questions to make sure they understand the task. Give every person your phone number and email and make yourself available to answer questions and provide guidance and clarification.

4. Track progress, give feedback, and help people solve problems

Check in periodically and ask your team about their progress. Are they on schedule? Do they have the resources they need? Have they run up against any unforeseen obstacles? Do they still understand the requirements? Monitor the work and give feedback in a positive, helpful way.

When you check on progress, ask open-ended questions such as “How are you coming along on the brochures?” or, “What are you working on now and what have you accomplished since we last talked?” Provide sincere praise and positive reinforcement for all efforts.

If the work is behind schedule, or the finished products are flawed, maintain a helpful, open attitude. Explore with team members how improvements could be made. Ask what additional help or resources they need. Help them brainstorm new approaches. You may want to restructure work assignments, or assign a mentor to an employee who isn’t learning quickly. You may need to bring in a specialist or negotiate with the customer for a later delivery date.

5. Allow for creativity and variations in work style

Keep your focus on the final result/products, not on the details of how the job gets done. People work according to individual learning styles and preferences. When you let them work in their preferred ways, they feel ownership for the effort. While some people like to work piece-meal, some like to work through continuous effort. Some people can multi-task, and some like to work on one thing at a time. Some need more structure and supervision than others. Those on your team may not perform the task exactly as you would. If you have selected skilled, talented people, they will probably do the job better than you would have and you may be pleasantly surprised with the results.

6. Provide incentives and show appreciation

Let people know there is a pay-off in working for you, and develop a reputation as someone who rewards good work. Pay increases, bonuses, stock options, and promotions are significant incentives for getting people to go the extra mile. You can give other rewards too, such as time off, a letter of appreciation in the personnel file, special mention in the corporate or industry newsletter, an award, a gift, or an invitation to a special corporate/industry event for insiders only. You can recognize the team or individuals at a corporate meeting, or plan a special luncheon for them at corporate expense. Throw a party for them at project completion. Send personal notes of thanks and say “Thank you for a job well done.”

Summary

The “D” in leaDership stands for Delegating. Delegating will challenge your skills in communicating, listening, planning, decision making, and problem solving. It will teach you to build rapport and create productive relationships. So next time you want to make some extra “bread,” don’t be like the Little Red Hen. Do more than just ask. Appeal to people’s competencies and values, give them guidance and feedback, and give them a stake in the outcome. Only a chicken laments “I have to do everything myself!”

Delegating work to other people requires some finesse, if you want to do it right and still allow it to be fun, especially if you have Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD). And there are a lot of things you can do that just don’t quite work right when you’re trying to work with delegation and have ADD, too.

Probably, the number one objection from ADD people is, “I can’t afford it. I don’t have that much cash flow coming in. When I make more money, then I’ll learn how to delegate.”

The fact is that if you are going to be paying out of pocket for all the things you’re trying to delegate, that would be true. But, as an entrepreneur (ADD or not), one of the things you should do, especially when starting a new project, is figure out how you can have the least up-front expense. Decide what you already have and make that work. You may not realize it, but you are already delegating at least half of your life to other people!

When you start delegating intentionally, that’s when everything really changes. People with ADD are extremely capable and extremely good at adapting to situations and generally very intelligent. Consequently, ADD people know that they themselves have the ability to accomplish all these different things they’re delegating to other people.

Most people with ADD love the challenge of developing new skills, and would rather get excited by the new learning process. This happens on a conceptual level, right before delegation occurs, and consequently, people with ADD find it hard to delegate.

People with ADD just love to learn!

One of the traps ADD people fall into is when something sounds exciting, they can just go read a book about it and learn about it. Because of their voracious appetite for learning new information.

However, there’s a flip side to this. Sometimes, if you have ADD, when you have a skill that you should be outsourcing, you keep doing it anyway because you can do it a lot faster yourself.

For instance, say you need to get a spreadsheet imported into a database and have a high tech background. Maybe you can do that job in 30 seconds. Yet, in the process of being a leader, you have delegated too much and nobody knows how perform the task. Teach your delegates: “Here’s how you do it,” and you're on your way. So, when it’s something that you already have knowledge about and can do, then why not do it and in the process, teach others to do it, too?

But, there is a third thing about ADD, and this is a big one--the issue of control. People with ADD don’t really want to give it up. They have this perception that in order to delegate, they’re giving up control. But, you really can delegate and not give it up, not feel like you’re out of it. And you'll still be able to sit down and do things you want to be doing.

Once you get good at delegating and start practicing it more frequently, you'll see that you're suddenly making more progress, more quickly. In fact, you'll gain an exponential amount of control over everything that happens in your business because through delegation, things move forward much faster. You actually get more control over everything that’s happening instead of less. It’s a little deceptive at first, but it turns out that way every single time.

So, remember: Even when you're delegating, you’re never giving up control. When you have ADD, it’s just in your nature to want to hang on. So, that’s the key--focus on gaining freedom, instead of giving in to the resistance of “What if?”.

Delegating work to other people requires some finesse, if you want to do it right and still allow it to be fun, especially if you have Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD). And there are a lot of things you can do that just don’t quite work right when you’re trying to work with delegation and have ADD, too.

Probably, the number one objection from ADD people is, “I can’t afford it. I don’t have that much cash flow coming in. When I make more money, then I’ll learn how to delegate.”

The fact is that if you are going to be paying out of pocket for all the things you’re trying to delegate, that would be true. But, as an entrepreneur (ADD or not), one of the things you should do, especially when starting a new project, is figure out how you can have the least up-front expense. Decide what you already have and make that work. You may not realize it, but you are already delegating at least half of your life to other people!

When you start delegating intentionally, that’s when everything really changes. People with ADD are extremely capable and extremely good at adapting to situations and generally very intelligent. Consequently, ADD people know that they themselves have the ability to accomplish all these different things they’re delegating to other people.

Most people with ADD love the challenge of developing new skills, and would rather get excited by the new learning process. This happens on a conceptual level, right before delegation occurs, and consequently, people with ADD find it hard to delegate.

People with ADD just love to learn!

One of the traps ADD people fall into is when something sounds exciting, they can just go read a book about it and learn about it. Because of their voracious appetite for learning new information.

However, there’s a flip side to this. Sometimes, if you have ADD, when you have a skill that you should be outsourcing, you keep doing it anyway because you can do it a lot faster yourself.

For instance, say you need to get a spreadsheet imported into a database and have a high tech background. Maybe you can do that job in 30 seconds. Yet, in the process of being a leader, you have delegated too much and nobody knows how perform the task. Teach your delegates: “Here’s how you do it,” and you're on your way. So, when it’s something that you already have knowledge about and can do, then why not do it and in the process, teach others to do it, too?

But, there is a third thing about ADD, and this is a big one--the issue of control. People with ADD don’t really want to give it up. They have this perception that in order to delegate, they’re giving up control. But, you really can delegate and not give it up, not feel like you’re out of it. And you'll still be able to sit down and do things you want to be doing.

Once you get good at delegating and start practicing it more frequently, you'll see that you're suddenly making more progress, more quickly. In fact, you'll gain an exponential amount of control over everything that happens in your business because through delegation, things move forward much faster. You actually get more control over everything that’s happening instead of less. It’s a little deceptive at first, but it turns out that way every single time.

So, remember: Even when you're delegating, you’re never giving up control. When you have ADD, it’s just in your nature to want to hang on. So, that’s the key--focus on gaining freedom, instead of giving in to the resistance of “What if?”.

Copyright (c) 2007 Jennifer Koretsky

Adults with ADD are not "wired" for details. We're creative-types, entrepreneurs, inventors, idea generators, and big picture thinkers.

When an adult with ADD is confronted with too many details to tend to, overwhelm quickly sets in. This is not a character flaw - it's quite simply just not what we're wired for.

There is actually a simple solution for dealing with details, and it might surprise you: don't deal with them.

A truly successful adult with ADD knows how to delegate the details, in both the personal and professional realms. But many ADDers struggle with delegation. When coaching clients to delegate the details (projects, tasks, and chores) that overwhelm them, there are three common objections that I hear.

Objection #1: Cost

A client has an online business that has a loyal customer base. He sells a lot of merchandise, and has been doing all the order processing by himself! This means taking care of the order fulfillment, the shipping, and the customer service - all on his own! He was reluctant to delegate order fulfillment to a company that supplies such services because he was afraid it would cost too much money.

Delegating this type of ongoing task to a service company certainly will cost some money, but it's an investment in the client's piece of mind and the company's future. When the details of order fulfillment are taken care of, he is free to focus on what he does best - business development. The business then grows, more money comes in, and the cost of the fulfillment company is more than made up for in sales and growth.

Objection #2: Perfectionism

Another client is a single mom who is a partner at a top-notch law firm. She works a lot of hours, and does her best to spend quality time with her two teenagers. But she was also spending a lot of time stressing - and I mean stressing - about how clean her house was (or wasn't). She was reluctant to delegate house cleaning to a professional cleaning person or to her kids because she thought it would take too much time to explain how she likes it all done.

This is perfectionism - she's not willing to let go of a task and let someone run with it. This client felt that if the house wasn't cleaned her way, it wouldn't be cleaned right. In order for her to delegate this, she had to trust in a professional cleaning service, and in her kids, and just let go of the responsibility altogether.

As a result, this client has found that her relationship with her kids has improved. They certainly did object when she first delegated certain daily responsibilities to them, but her stress level has decreased tremendously and that has had a very positive effect on her relationship with her kids.

Objection #3: Taking Care of Others

Another client is the president of a professional organization and is in charge of a big annual event. As the lead person on this event, she needs to delegate a lot of work, or it simply won't get done! But she had a lot of guilt about delegating projects without first "cleaning them up." Instead of handing over a file and saying "Here you go, this is what I need, please figure it out," she was spinning her wheels trying to clean up the file and make the project as simple as possible.

In this example, the client is not really delegating, because she's too busy taking care of the people helping her. It's very considerate, but doesn't move her project forward. Politely delegating projects, chores, and tasks is not mean, rude, or unreasonable - it's necessary, especially in the position that this client was in. Without delegation, nothing would get done.

In order to lower stress and ensure success, adults with ADD should ask themselves on a regular basis "What would I really love to delegate, and how can I go about delegating it immediately?"

Lots of bosses are good at dumping, but not at delegating. They're great at off-loading the things they don't like to do and dropping assignments on their subordinates with little or no guidance.

Other bosses think that delegating is always the best way to assign work. That's not right either. When you've got a competent and willing worker, delegation is the right way to go, but it's not a good choice for workers who aren't as competent or committed.

Delegation is only one among the four basic options you when you ask a subordinate to do a piece of work. Here they are in order from most controlling to least controlling.

Make the decisions about what is to be done and tell folks what to do. I call this style "Tell."

Telling is good for people who may be new to the job and have lots of enthusiasm, but not enough ability yet. It's also the style you'll use with subordinates who've proved through several supervisory interviews that they may have the competence, but they seriously lack willingness. Those are discipline problems and tight control is appropriate.

You can also discuss the work with your subordinate, but make the final decision. This is good for less experienced people who either need instruction or who need their confidence built up. I call this style "Discuss and Tell."

Discuss and Tell is the style that most managers seem to like best and revert to under pressure. It seems like it let's them be both "participative" and in control. But using just Discuss and Tell is a bad idea, especially when you're helping a subordinate grown and develop.

At some point, your subordinate will demonstrate that he or she understands the work that needs to be done. That's the time to use the style I call "Discuss and Allow." With that style you discuss the work with your subordinate, and then let them decide what to do.

Discuss and Allow is the hardest option for most managers because it involves giving up control before they're really sure how competent a subordinate is, but it's essential if your subordinate is going to develop to a point where you can delegate to him or her. Many managers want to jump right over this step and simply assign work. Don't do it.

Part of your job as a manager is developing your people so they're competent enough that you can delegate almost any task to them. That won't happen all at once. To make sure they develop well, you've got to go through Discuss and Allow before you move to the style I call "Allow" or "Delegation."

When you delegate, you give your subordinate the assignment and ask what they need from you. This is true delegation. It's only appropriate for people who have mastered the kind of work to be done and who willingly pitch in.

As you work with people new to the job you'll move through the four styles as they grow and develop. Remember that you use different styles with different people and with the same people on different tasks. You make your decision on what style to use based on your subordinate's ability and willingness to handle the specific work you need to assign.

In my programs, I use the acronym AW, GOSH to help understand how much control to give a subordinate. Here's what those letters stand for.

A stands for ability. Do they have the ability to do the job? If they don't have the skills or resources, then you have either a training or resource issue, not a supervision issue.

W stands for willingness. Do they willingly do work that they've been given? Sometimes we talk about this by saying that a person is "motivated."

The comma (,) is to indicate that the two factors above are the most important ones to consider. The following factors may affect how you handle a specific situation, but they aren't nearly as important as your basic judgment about Ability and Willingness.

G stands for growth. If I let go a bit more, will it help this person grow and be an even better worker in the long term? I've found that most managers are reluctant to relinquish control, so if you're in doubt, give your subordinate more freedom.

O stands for organization. Are there any rules, regulations, or cultural norms that might cause me to modify my original decision?

S stands for situation. If the situation is either physically or psychologically dangerous you may want to retain more control. If it allows for safety and for the person to fail (but not horribly) then you can loosen up a bit.

H stands for "How will this affect others?" Will this set a precedent? Will it be perceived as fair? Does it set a good example? Remember that the people who work for you watch everything you do.

Instead of thinking just about whether you can delegate better, strive to give people the maximum control possible over their work life while helping them grow and assuring that your team is productive. The best way to do this is to use all four styles based on the ability and willingness of your subordinate to do the job.