The Difference Between Managing and Doing
By Leslie C. Shiner, MBA

How did you start your business? Most contractors started their company by working in the field. Then, as the businesses grew, they left the field and entered the office to better manage the business. And if they decided to focus on business growth as a goal, then they have discovered the need to spend more time “managing” than “doing.” But often, that is easier said than done.

The only way a small company can grow, particularly a construction company, is through delegation. And this may be the hardest thing you need to learn. Why? Just because you were a good carpenter, doesn’t mean you are a good manager. Each job has different skill sets and requires you to have a different focus. I know several contractors whose profitability suffered when they promoted their lead carpenters to project managers. While the lead carpenters excelled in the field, they failed to handle all aspects of project management. Perhaps it was because the skill set just wasn’t there. Or perhaps it was because the contractor didn’t delegate the tasks properly or manage the process well.

Good management skills include the ability to effectively delegate tasks. Here are the seven steps to effective delegation:

Step 1: Define the task to be completed.
Determine a task that can be delegated, then describe it in both “what” and “why” terms: Explain to someone what needs to be done and why it needs to be done. If you can’t explain these two key elements, then you haven’t adequately defined the task, and it will probably be unsuccessful. For example, your definition of project management may include different components than your employee’s idea of what constitutes project management.

When I ask contractors to pick a task to delegate and then define it, they immediately jump into how to do it rather than what needs to be done. However, your employee needs to know what needs to be done. Perhaps he has an idea of how to do it that differs from your way.

Step 2: Determine the tangible and measurable objective to be achieved.
Describe the end product to your employee. Define what successfully completing this task would look like. When you start delegating tasks, you need to find tasks that have a start and an end. Then determine how to measure the completion of the task.

Step 3: Share the resources available to successfully complete the task.
Too often, a supervisor will delegate a task to an employee but not give her the resources necessary to complete the task. Sometimes these resources include equipment, laborers, or materials. Or the resource may simply be some piece of information that only the supervisor knows. When delegating, make sure to provide all necessary resources.

Step 4: Give the authority needed to achieve success.
When delegating a task to an employee, it’s crucial that you also provide the authority needed to complete the task. If the employee cannot make and implement decisions related to this task, then he will not feel responsible and may be unsuccessful at completing it.

Step 5: Communicate publicly that needed authority has been delegated.
The rest of the staff needs to know that you have delegated authority to your employee. The fastest way to fail at delegation is to undermine the authority that you’ve just given to your employee. As hard as it is, you need to publicly support decisions made by your staff. If you do want to question a particular decision, do so in private.

Step 6: Create milestone measurements.
Create milestone measurements to track progress (these will vary, of course, on the project’s length and complexity). Remember, you are testing both your employee’s ability to complete a task as well as your ability to effectively delegate. Checking in on a regular basis, with predetermined goals, will help both of you.

Step 7: Provide feedback.
Remember that feedback can be both positive and negative. And feedback goes in both directions. Determine the success of the task, and also ask your employee how he felt about the task. Did he receive the support he needed to successfully complete it? Did you do a good job delegating the task?

In Summary
Delegation can be challenging. It requires good communication skills. Sometimes, your thorough knowledge of a task becomes an impediment to delegation instead of an advantage, because you know that you can just step in and do it. If you hear the voice in your head say: “I should have just done it myself,” instead translate that into: “How could I have been better at delegating that task?” Remember, the success of your management skills rests on your ability to find ways to stop “doing” and start “managing” to be better at effectively delegating and, ultimately, growing your company in a healthy and profitable way.

For more than 20 years Leslie Shiner has provided business and financial management assistance to contractors. She also speaks to local, regional, and national construction groups and associations, and is the author of Health Checkup for Your Construction Business and other titles available at www.profitpress.com.

Copyright © 2006 Profit Press, Inc. Reprinted with permission.