Successful managers have mastered the ability to accomplished goals through other people. They recognize the difference between work, which only they can complete and work, which can be accomplished by others. This unique ability to direct others toward the successful accomplishment of well-defined goals is a common trait amongst effective managers. They have been careful to distinguish between what is management work and what is operating work.

To accomplish goals through other people is difficult and requires us to work out of our comfort zone. The effective manager gets results through others by utilizing three skills: delegation, communication, and motivation. Most people enjoy getting things done, putting out fires, and taking care of minor problems one after another. While they may feel as though they are accomplishing a great deal, chances are, little of their time is delegated to planning those long-range goals, which will guarantee their future in the industry. Management work requires the effective development of others’ talents, stretching abilities to the point where others accomplish tasks better than we do.

Delegation

Having confidence in one’s self n and its aggregate talents and abilities, enables the manager to accept responsibility for staff actions. Ask yourself whether you can turn a project over your staff, leave for a week, and return to find the project completed better than anticipated. Getting your staff to this point requires time, an investment, which will pay twofold in the future. Delegation requires you to be receptive to the ideas of others and to be willing to accept mistakes while exercising self-restraint. You can’t “blow your top” when delegating. These leadership attributes are necessary if you are going to develop effective delegating skills. Following these five steps will also improve your effectiveness as a manager:

1. Policy guidelines must be clearly stated. Let your staff know precisely what your company’s policies are so they will know what is expected of them. Their responses can then be consistent with your philosophy of management.
2. Jobs must be well defined. What are the specific job responsibilities and who in the office is to be accountable for accomplishing what task. The entire staff must work in concert if projects are to run smoothly.
3. Goals must be set and agreed upon. Clearly define what must be accomplished and in what time frame. Be specific! Goals must be measurable and mutually agreed upon if you want results. This step will also be useful when it comes time to evaluate performance.
4. Two-way communication must be established. Ask yourself if staff understands what you meant to say – and if not, say what you meant Communication is two way. Take time to listen to what your staff is saying. Their response is the next valuable part of the communication process.
5. A feedback system must be established. Develop a system of reinforcement for positive action. Let staff know when they are on the right tract. Set up specific times for progress review and keep the system open at all times.

Consider the benefit of delegation: more available time, increased efficiency, a staff working at maximum capability with enthusiasm and a sense of responsibility. However, when delegating, remember not to overload your staff and not to delegate only those things which you dislike doing. The benefits of delegation are well worth the investment of time. The old saying, “If you want it done right, do it yourself,” can now be replaced with “If you want it done effectively, train others to do it.”

Communication

The effective manager is also an effective communicator. Consider the story about two woodcutters who were instructed to cut as much firewood in one day as possible. One woodcutter noticed the other taking a break each hour and decided that if he worked continuously throughout the day, he could produce the most chopped wood by the day’s end. However, when the day was over, he was amazed to find that the other woodcutter had twice as much wood chopped as he had. He asked him how that could be. “I worked continuously all day and I saw you taking a break every hour.” “Well,” the other woodcutter replied, “you must not have noticed that every time I took a break, I sharpened my axe.”

Not only is it important to communicate what results are expected, but the method of accomplishment should also be communicated. How well you communicate with your staff will make the difference between success and failure. Three steps to follow for positive communication are 1) getting favorable attention, 2) knowing what you are going to say, and 3) getting favorable feedback.

1. Getting favorable attention. Don’t assume the other person is listening to you, or is even remotely ready to. Think about how many times you find yourself thinking of a response when someone is trying to speak. This is a common trait, so be alert and look for signs that tell us others are listening. The following scenario exemplifies bad listening.

   Client to Landscape Architect:

“The monarch butterflies have a roosting site within our project area. They are amphitheaters of eucalyptus groves. Three exist on the site and are marked with red flags. Have the grading contractor save the trees around this area.”

Landscape Architect to Project Manager:

“We need to develop three monarch butterfly sites in our project area. They are amphitheaters of eucalyptus groves. Call the surveyor and have him flag three areas for development.”

Project Manager to Contractor:

“After you have cleared the site, we are going to plant eucalyptus trees for three monarch butterfly roosting sites. Call us first so we can spot the eucalyptus trees for planting.”

Contractor to Foreman:

“Some crazy landscape architect wants us to collect three monarch butterflies so they can display them in an amphitheater we are going to make out of eucalyptus trees.”

The final message bears no resemblance to the original request and could be very costly. Be an effective listener?EUR??,,????'??+draw a mental picture of what is being said to you. If you don’t understand, simply ask for another explanation. The key to knowing when others are listening to us is to know how to listen to others.

2. Know what you are going to say. Don’t expect someone else to understand something you don’t. Have a clear mental picture of what is to be communicated. Sometimes it is necessary to use diagrams and illustrations, and occasionally written communications are far more effective then verbal. Consider the three monarch butterfly roosting sites that would have been saved if the original instructions had been written and diagrams included. The best way to know if what we are saying is understood is through feedback.
Get favorable feedback. Make sure that your message is understood by asking what is thought about your idea or statement. Does the response indicate understanding of your original concept? Invite ideas as to how something should be accomplished. By listening to others and getting them involved in the problem, communication successes will increase.

Motivation

Do you give your employees more than a paycheck every week? People work to satisfy other than financial needs. The successful manager provides rewards that make the difference between average and exceptional staff performance. If you are delegating and communicating effectively, results become well defined and performance can be measured. This increased performance can be acknowledged with some form of recognition. The following suggestions are the key to successful motivation and can provide amazing results:

1. Consider the importance of each person. What they do for you is important, too. Self-esteem is high in individuals who perform well.
2. Praise positive performance. Everyone likes to know that they are doing well. Be honest and make sure it is positive performance you are praising and that you are consistent with each employee. A simple “that looks great” can be the best form of encouragement.
3. Value staff opinion. Asking someone’s advice makes them feel important and helps to build positive self-esteem.
4. Assign meaningful responsibilities. No one likes busy work. When someone is challenged and has to stretch his abilities to accomplish a task, he will frequently feel motivated by that learning experience and performance will increase. Remember a rubber band is useless until it is stretched, and motivated people produce amazing results.

Delegation, communication and motivation – key skills needed by the effective manager. With a little effort, anyone can develop these skills and realize an improved work environment.

Paul Jordan, principal in the landscape architectural firm of Paul Jordan Associates, in Ventura, California, has combined his professional expertise in the landscape design projects ranging in scope from single family residences to multi-million dollar world corporate offices while maintaining an active interest in community affairs. Mr. Jordan graduated from California Polytechnic University, Pomona, and participated in their Masters Fellowship Design program. For the past three years, he has served on Ventura?EUR??,,????'???s Architectural Review Board and chaired the City?EUR??,,????'???s Street Tree Advisory Committee. Mr. Jordan served as the President of the Ventura Jaycees, a leadership training organization, and conducts numerous training seminars on time management, management work versus operating work, and project planning.