#008: Wheel of Awareness, Delegation, Supervision and Boredom

In case we haven’t met - my name is Narayan Kamath. I am an Executive and Leadership Coach, helping engineering/technology leaders evolve into inspiring and impactful business leaders by working on their inner and outer game.        

Hello from Bengaluru!

We can learn from the past.

We can be inspired by the future.

But we can only ever do something in the present.

Yet, for many of us, it's a challenge to stay anchored in the present. We spend far too much time remembering the past, or imagining the future, and lose the opportunity to create real impact - by taking action in the present.

One of the ways to practice being more present is mindfulness meditation. A simple meditation, which takes less than 5 minutes and allows you to be more in tune with your senses, increase self-awareness and be more present is The Wheel of Awareness, by Dan Siegel.

I recently used it as a grounding/intention-setting activity at the beginning of a four hour virtual workshop with 20 senior leaders. None of them practise mindfulness/meditation routinely, and almost every one of them found it useful.

How do you work on being more present?

? 5 Mistakes Managers Make When Delegating

If you are struggling with delegation, you’re likely making some mistakes.

Here are the 5 most common mistakes I see managers making with delegation:

1. Throwing things over the fence

Delegation is not abdication. You are still accountable for the outcome.

This means you still have to put in some work - to set things up properly, to ensure they are on track, and to make sure the final outcome meets what is expected.

2. Following a one-size-fits all approach

Your team members are individuals. They vary in competence, motivation, personality, and preferences.?

How you delegate should depend on the individual’s competence and motivation. This should set the amount of direction you give (ranging from stating expected outcome, to detailed step by step instructions) as well as how frequently and closely you monitor the work when it’s still in progress.

3. Not checking for agreement

Managers who don't check for agreement when delegating end up disappointed.?

You must confirm that the team member has understood what is expected and is able and willing to execute. You have to check whether they see any obstacles that might prevent them from completing the task, and whether they need any support from you.

4. Not checking progress

Whether you provide detailed directions or not, it is important to check in to make sure the work is progressing as expected.?

How often you do this will depend on the individual’s competence and engagement, but failing to do so may lead to?big and nasty surprises at the end, when there is little time to take corrective action.

5. Not holding people accountable

You have to hold people accountable for the work they have committed to do.?

If someone has done a great job, they deserve praise, and if not, they should receive appropriate feedback.

If the assigned work is substantial and significant, or they do a great job (or not) consistently, it should reflect in their performance evaluation and count towards their bonuses and merit increases. Finally, for someone who is habitually not meeting the mark, you might have to consider more serious interventions.

This is by no means an exhaustive list of mistakes. Likewise, there isn’t just one way of doing delegation right.

The right way to delegate is the way that works with the person you are delegating to.

If you are someone who wishes to get better at delegation and delivering through others, let’s talk. Hit Reply.

?? Updates - Coaching Supervision

I just earned my Professional Certificate in Coaching Supervision.

This is the first step toward being accredited the a Coaching Supervisor by EMCC.

Now it's a matter of clocking the required hours, and completing some other formalities.

However, the certificate allows me to work with ICF Credentialed Coaches at the ACC/PCC level, and allows them to claim the hours under supervision as continuing coach education units.

If you are an ICF ACC/PCC, and this is of interest to you, drop me an email - and I will send you details.

?? What I'm Currently Listening

Earlier this week, one of my favourite contemporary singers Krishnakumar Kunnath, better known as KK, passed away. He had a heart attack while performing at a concert in Kolkatta.

On the one hand, he was performing and entertaining his fans until the very end; on the other hand, I believe he had a lot more music in him.

He had a great number of hits to his credit, but my favourite remains this number from the 2003 movie Jhankaar Beats: Tu Aashiqui Hai

?? Blast from the Past

Boredom is a state of dissatisfaction and disengagement with whatever you are doing, and an urge to do - anything else.

Boredom happens when your arousal - how energetic you feel mentally, is high, but there is nothing you can expend that energy on.

When there is nothing that we can pay attention to, we seek distractions - things that occupy our attention with no useful purpose

Hatred of boredom has driven many of humanity's advances - whether it is games or other ways to entertain ourselves.

On the other hand, the benefits of learning to be OK with being bored can be significant

Read more about this in Be OK With Being Bored

? End Quote

To end this edition, here's a quote I've been pondering on this week:

“You can tell whether a man is clever by his answers. You can tell whether a man is wise by his questions”?― Naguib Mahfouz

We are always in a rush to find answers. That's because we are uncomfortable with the uncertainty of not knowing.

Often, this discomfort makes us grab the first solution, the half-baked answer.

It's when we cultivate the practice of staying with questions, that we come up with better answers.

That's all this week! Thanks for your time.

Narayan

PS: When you are ready, here are some ways we can work together to amplify your impact:

1. Grab a free copy of my Deliver Through Others Checklist -?It’s a useful summary of the key principles to working better with and through others—?Click Here

2. Work with me privately -?If you are an Engineering/Technology leader aspiring to evolve into an inspiring and impactful Business Leader, let’s talk! Set up a no-obligation exploratory call with me -?Click Here