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LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT CENTER

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Peter GIlliam, MD

"Dorian helped me to get clarity on what I valued and develop 
a strategy that fit my fulfillment needs"

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Every business leader knows they need to delegate to achieve better results. The problem comes when leaders try to move from thought to action. Their beliefs about themselves, their team, and the work they are trying to accomplish prevent them from letting go of tasks and trusting others to do work they have traditionally completed. This resistance to delegation slows growth, creates workflow bottlenecks, and negatively impacts company performance.


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Executive Coach Dorian Cunion
Words Assess to Delegate

What should a leader do?

Delegation is a skill. Like all skills, starting small and building up to more difficult tasks is best as you gain mastery. Leaders frequently get frustrated with the delegation process because they start it with the wrong mindset. They are accustomed to performing tasks at a high level and expect perfect results the first time they delegate a task. The reality is that most people do not do tasks perfectly the first time they attempt them. As a leader, you must learn to delegate effectively, and your employee or contractor must learn through practice how to do the task to your expectations. The more you delegate, the better you will get, and the more your employee does the task, the better they will perform, provided that you have a system for delegation.


How do you start?

The Power6 Leader program teaches the ACES system of delegation. ACES stands for Assess, Communication, Empower, and Support. This four-step approach to delegation reduces uncertainty and provides a systematic method for evaluating employees and tasks, setting expectations, building trust, and ensuring that employee competency is built over time.


How to assess tasks to be delegated?

To help you get started, we have developed this worksheet to help you assess the tasks you should be delegating and the people you should be delegating those tasks to.


Download this tool, read the instructions, and email Dorian Cunion if you have any questions about how to use it. dcunion@yourpathexecutivesolution.com




Every small business owner hits a point where their business stalls. No matter how hard they work, progress slows, and they begin to feel like they are working too hard for the results they are getting. When your progress starts to stall, it is a great opportunity to reassess who is responsible for different tasks within your business.  Shifting tasks off your to-do-list, and giving them to your employees helps everyone grow within your business. Your employees can gain new skills, take on higher-level assignments, and become more invested in the company’s success. You gain more space to think strategically and allocate your energy toward activities that can accelerate business growth. 



Dorian Cunion in suit on blue-yellow geometric background. Text: "Your Path Leadership Blog: Accelerate Growth by Delegating Tasks."

Delegating tasks triggers business acceleration.

When I was a Business Consultant working with 7-Eleven, I had a Franchisee who was looking to expand to a second location. For this story, we will call him Tom. Tom had been a single store operator for 10 years. He wanted to expand to a second location but could not pass 7-Eleven’s multiple franchisee requirements. Within the 7-Eleven system, you must consistently operate your store at a specific level for over 6 months to qualify for an additional store and demonstrate that you have the infrastructure to support multiple locations. Tom’s biggest challenge was not trusting his employees to order products or make decisions without him being involved. Tom was intelligent and had high standards, but he did not feel his employees could be trusted to do things as well as he could. 


Get out of the trap.

At the time, Tom did not realize he had built a trap for himself. The trap was that he had to be in the store six days a week for the store to run well. The store's image and customer readiness dropped when Tom took time off of work. The leadership at 7-Eleven believed that Tom was not ready to run more than one location because of the performance inconsistency. He had to learn how to delegate and empower his team to do more. This would reduce business risk because the store performance would not be directly linked to Tom being in the store daily. It would also free up his time and energy to do things outside the store, like network with the community and spend more time with his family. He was spending too much time on low-value tasks that someone else could do. 

 

Change of mindset

When I first told Tom that he was not approved for a second location, he was emotional. He knew he was one of the top-performing franchisees in Baltimore. His staff was friendly, his store was clean, and he felt he did everything we asked. Tom was 90% correct. The one thing he failed to see was that he did not invest in developing his employees. It was not until he traveled overseas for two weeks and came back to a store that was a complete mess that he understood 7-Eleven’s point of view around business infrastructure. Once he accepted that he needed to build more infrastructure, it became easier for him to devise a plan for delegating more tasks to his employees.


Identify the solution

Shifting tasks to employees was a multi-step process for Tom. First, he had to assess his employees' capabilities and determine which tasks they could take on. Next, he needed to outline what he wanted them to do. Then, he had to provide them with training, communicate his expectations, and guide them on what to do if problems arose. Finally, he needed to identify how he would follow up to ensure tasks were completed. 


Solicit help

Tom and I developed a plan for transferring more tasks to his employees. I encouraged him to start small. We identified low-value tasks that people could do without harming the business. We allowed them to execute those tasks for two or three weeks before we layered in higher-value tasks. This process worked for two reasons.

  1. The employees were new to making decisions and executing tasks without direction. They needed a safe learning environment, the opportunity to fail, and coaching to help them build confidence.

  2. Delegating tasks was new to Tom. He had to learn how to access employees' capabilities, explain his expectations well, provide learning space, and step in when needed.

Going slow allowed Tom and his employees to become comfortable with change and build momentum towards the ultimate goal of delegating all non-financial tasks to employees. 

  

Reap the rewards

Delegating tasks to your employees is one of the most beneficial actions you can take as a leader. When you delegate, you have the opportunity to master new skills, free up your time, and expand the capabilities of your organization. Research shows that employees want to be developed. When you teach them something new and trust them to do it, their confidence, self-esteem, and self-efficiency grow. They will make mistakes sometimes. That is part of the learning process. However, even a mistake provides a teachable moment where you can help them grow professionally and develop a trusting relationship with your employees. Tom went on to become a 3-store multiple Franchisee. One of the first employees he developed into a store manager became a 2-store multiple Franchisee. One person can only accomplish so much. When you are willing to share your workload, teach, and inspire others, you unlock their potential and yours. 


 

Thank you for reading this blog. If you have any questions about leadership, please email me at dcunion@yourpathexecutivesolutions.com. Becoming a better leader is easier when you have a guide. To learn more about my coaching and consulting programs, schedule a call.



At Your Path Coaching & Consulting, we empower individuals and organizations to reach their full potential. A key tool we utilize in our holistic approach to personal and professional development is the Enneagram. This powerful system provides profound insights into your core motivations, fears, and behavior patterns, offering a roadmap for transformative growth.


Enneagram diagram with numbers 1-9, labels like Peacemaker, Achiever. Central logo and "Truity" text. Circular lines connect numbers.

What is the Enneagram?

The Enneagram is a dynamic personality system that outlines nine distinct personality types. It delves beyond surface-level behaviors, revealing the underlying emotional drivers that shape our thoughts, actions, and interactions. This emotionally focused system helps us understand our deepest fears and desires, ultimately leading to greater self-awareness and improved relationships.


The Three Centers of Intelligence:

Understanding the Enneagram begins with recognizing the three Centers of Intelligence:

  • Heart Center (Types Two, Three, and Four): These types are driven by emotions and connection. They prioritize relationships and seek validation and belonging.

  • Head Center (Types Five, Six, and Seven): These types rely on intellect and analysis. They strive for knowledge, security, and mental stimulation.

  • Body Center (Types Eight, Nine, and One): These types operate from instinct and gut feelings. They focus on autonomy, control, and integrity.

The Nine Enneagram Types:

Let's explore each type and its core motivations:

  • Type One: The Perfectionist: Driven by a desire for integrity and correctness, Ones strive for excellence and adhere to high standards. They fear being flawed or corrupt.

  • Type Two: The Giver: Motivated by a need to be loved and appreciated, Twos are compassionate and helpful. They fear being unlovable or unwanted.

  • Type Three: The Achiever: Focused on success and recognition, Threes are driven and adaptable. They fear failure and being seen as worthless.

  • Type Four: The Individualist: Seeking authenticity and uniqueness, Fours are creative and introspective. They fear being ordinary or insignificant.

  • Type Five: The Investigator: Driven by a desire for knowledge and understanding, Fives are analytical and independent. They fear being overwhelmed or incompetent.

  • Type Six: The Skeptic: Seeking security and certainty, Sixes are loyal and responsible. They fear being unprepared or unsupported.

  • Type Seven: The Enthusiast: Driven by a desire for adventure and stimulation, Sevens are optimistic and versatile. They fear being trapped or in pain.

  • Type Eight: The Challenger: Focused on control and power, Eights are assertive and protective. They fear being vulnerable or controlled.

  • Type Nine: The Peacemaker: Seeking harmony and peace, Nines are easygoing and accepting. They fear conflict and separation.

How the Enneagram Enhances Professional Development:

At Your Path Coaching & Consulting, we integrate the Enneagram into our coaching programs to:

  • Increase Self-Awareness: By understanding your Enneagram type, you gain valuable insights into your strengths, weaknesses, and blind spots.

  • Improve Communication: The Enneagram helps you understand how different types communicate and interact, fostering more effective collaboration and conflict resolution.

  • Enhance Leadership Skills: By recognizing your own leadership style and the styles of others, you can build stronger teams and create a more positive work environment.

  • Navigate Career Transitions: The Enneagram can help you identify career paths that align with your core motivations and values.

  • Develop Emotional Intelligence: By understanding your emotional triggers and patterns, you can cultivate greater emotional resilience and self-regulation.

  • Team Building: Understanding your team members' enneagrams can help you build more effective and productive teams. This is a core part of our business consulting services.

  • Executive Coaching: The enneagram is a powerful tool for helping executives understand their leadership style and how it affects their teams.

Enneagram in One-on-One Coaching and Group Workshops:

One-on-One Coaching:

  • In individual sessions, we use the Enneagram to provide personalized insights and guidance. We help you identify your core motivations, understand your behavior patterns, and develop personal and professional growth strategies.

  • We work with you to address specific challenges, such as communication difficulties, leadership development, or career transitions, using the Enneagram as a framework for understanding and addressing these issues.

  • We assist with creating personal development plans tailored to each individual’s enneagram type.

Group Workshops:

  • Our workshops provide a dynamic and interactive learning environment where participants can explore the Enneagram and its applications in a collaborative setting.

  • We facilitate discussions and exercises that help participants understand the different Enneagram types and how they interact with each other.

  • We focus on team dynamics, communication skills, and conflict resolution, using the Enneagram to enhance understanding and improve collaboration.

  • Workshops help teams to understand each other, and create a more harmonious work environment.

Our Approach:

We believe in a personalized approach to coaching and consulting. Through in-depth assessments and one-on-one sessions or group workshops, we help you identify your Enneagram type and develop strategies for personal and professional growth. We empower you to leverage your strengths, overcome challenges, and achieve sustainable success.

Take the Next Step:

Ready to unlock your full potential? Schedule a free consultation or inquire about our group workshops with Your Path Coaching & Consulting today. Let us guide you on your journey to self-discovery and professional excellence.

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