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One day, the training manager of a public listed company came up to me and asked, “K C, what would your response be if a director of your company tells you that he does not believe in training because every person hired for the job should already know the job and therefore needs no training?”

There question is surprising, if not shocking, to me but I was too polite to say so as she was probably talking about her own company. I told her to ask that director how many of the people working for him  would want to be in the same job for the rest of their life. Chances are very few.

If that’s the case, then whose responsibility would it be to provide career enhancement opportunities to the employees? If it’s the company’s responsibility to provide career development, how would employers upgrade their employees’ skills and knowledge for more or bigger jobs, if not by training?

The ignorance of a director of this large Malaysian organization is regrettable. To make matters worse, I don’t think he’s alone. Whilst the Government is emphasizing on the need for the private sector to invest in human resource development by throwing in the double-tax deduction for training as an incentive, very little has happened. Many organizations are still dragging their feet on it.

In a recent report by Japanese industry experts under a programme known as the Asian Cooperation project, several problems relating to two major Malaysian industrial sectors – namely, precision holding and press-die manufacturing – were identified. One of them is “a failure by factory owners to train their employees adequately for fear they will subsequently job-hop to companies offering higher pay.” This is the common short-sightedness of some lesser informed management in Malaysia.

Some companies are spending the money on training, but on haphazard and poorly planned training activities with little results to show in terms of enhancing the quality of the workforce and their performance. However, management cannot be totally blamed for this.

I tend to attribute this gap to the people who understands training, people such as training managers, trainers and training consultants, for failing to sufficiently and professionally communicate, advice, guide, sell or inform the management. Management generally wants to get clear and straightforward answers to one question before they agree to invest in training – “How do we get business results from training?”

The emphasis is on business results, and not on just having done “20 programs this year,” as one training manager responded to a question on his achievements for the year. Results – not activities. It is easy to understand the reluctance to invest in training if management can’t see results.

Business results occur when skills taught during a training activity are applied on the job, thereby improving job performance. To ensure that the organization gets business results form its training investment, the following should be considered:

1. Training activities must be linked to business needs and not just to the latest and hottest seminar in town. I’ve actually heard training manager of a major local bank boast to me that his organization is the first to take all the major and latest training programmes to come from the United States!

Training must originate from business needs – for instance, a bank’s need to increase revenue by getting the tellers to cross-sell more-and not form just responding to intermittent training requests without sufficient analysis to determine the reason for that request.

For example, a request like “Can you send the telephone operator for a telephone techniques course?” is not a need but suggested solution. The real business need could be to reduce customer complaints about having to wait a long time for calls to be picked up. If that operator has to answer 2,500 calls a day, the problem is not necessary a lack of telephone techniques – it could be a situation of work overload and training alone might not help.

2. Training must be performance based. Once business needs are identified, then next step is to identify what specific performance needs to be improved in order to either overcome a business problem – for instance, too many rejects form customers; or fulfill a business opportunity – for instance, staff to be able to sell a new line of products.

Proper training identification (TNI) must be carried out in order to provide valuable inputs to ensure that the training programme is designed to improve performance.

3. Work environment and the learning experience must support each other. Too often, training carried out results in the trainee going back to a working environment that does not support the learning experiences she has just gone through. A typical example is the employee who went for a seminar on motivation, got “excited” and return back to working environment that regularly demotivates him. In six months, she’s back to her original self.

One reason could be that the existing system, corporate culture or the superiors do not support the trained employee in using her newly acquired skills. In many instances, a lack of follow-through by the superior contributed to this failure. The other could be that the training programme was designed without sufficient pre-analysis that would enable the programme to be customized to relate to actual work situations. WAW

Management is about performance and being able to get results by directing resources and efforts towards opportunities in the most effective way possible. We do realize that one of the principal resources through which we obtain results is people. The ability, or inability, of a manager to draw results and performance from people is a big factor in determining her overall effectiveness. Her main tool to achieve that is delegation.

Delegation is getting work done through other people. When a manager delegates, she entrusts the performance of a task or a sub-task to someone else most of the time, a subordinate. It is an extension of what you can do by yourself to what you can control.

Delegation multiplies your efforts through the division of duties. It is the foundation of the organizing function and it stems from the fact that people may not be able to do everything in entirely, all by themselves. Delegation involves the assignment to someone else, the power to act and decide. Such authority varies in degree and is derived from the delegation.

In return, such authority requires the acceptance of the responsibilities as well as the accountability for specific results. On the other hand, responsibilities may be accepted but authority may not be given, rendering the process ineffective.

There are many good reasons why a manager needs to be able to delegate well. Obviously, the need for a manager to have more time to focus on more important priorities or opportunities is one good reason. Managers who do not delegate well, end up having to carry the entire burden themselves and therefore will not be effective in doing what a manager is supposed to do – get results from people. Life will inevitably be a lot more hectic and certainly less healthy!

The other reason is the need to develop subordinates. Given a choice, no subordinate really wants to be in the same job for the rest of her life. At the end of the day, most of them (and us) want better career status, higher level of responsibilities and the perks that come with it. Opportunities for career development is one key element that workers of today will look into in deciding if their job is worth sticking to.

High turnover these days is prevalent and certainly a good percentage of it arises from lack of career development and opportunities. People need development; it is no longer a luxury – it is a right and an expectation that organizations have to fulfil.

Delegation of work is one way to enrich the subordinates’ job, increase the scope of their work, enhance their experiences and eventually their promotability. Delegation is therefore one managerial practice where everybody wins – the subordinate gets an opportunity to be developed, her job is enriched or expanded and the manager gets to be able to focus on more important issues.

Despite the fact that it makes good sense to delegate well, many managers don’t. (On the other hand, some overdelegate to the point of abdicating.) Delegation is an important managerial skill – a skill that can be acquired and learnt.

Why Managers Don’t Delegate

Some of the possible situations that give rise to this reluctance to delegate are:

1. “My Subordinate Will Mess It Up”

Some managers may not have the confidence in their subordinates. A manager may realise that ultimately, responsibilities still rest with her, so she feels it may be better to do it herself.

But then it is realistic to expect that subordinates will at times make mistakes with the assignment delegated. Part of developing and growing is making mistakes and learning from them. You yourself must have made some too, in the past. As a manager, you can minimize the incidences by ensuring that proper instructions and guidance are given. You can also minimize the impact of errors by starting with less risky and simpler tasks before delegating assignments that have a critical impact on the organization.

2. “My Boss Expects Me To Do It Myself

This could be more of a perception rather than a fact. Clarifying with the boss becomes important if the need to delegate is high. It may be worth while to explain to her the need to involve your subordinates in order to produce results.

3. “It Takes Me More Time And Effort To Explain The Job. It is Easier For Me To Do It Myself”

Consider the long term consequences if you often fall back to this excuse and therefore do not delegate. Subordinates will feel the lack of opportunity to develop and you personally get overworked. It will certainly take more time in the beginning but it will eventually pay off as the subordinate gets the hang of it.

The time taken initially to explain the job to the subordinate is an investment that managers will have to make in order to reap the payoffs which come with having delegated appropriately.

4. “If I Delegate, I will Lose Touch And Not Have All The Answers To Questions From My Boss”

A manager certainly won’t have all the answers if she delegates, but a smart manager certainly would know what her boss normally looks for – in terms of specific information generally asked for.

You could anticipate the information she would require and consequently you should require the same from your subordinates. Proper control and regular feedback will keep you well informed of the aspects of the assignment that you and your boss consider critical.

5. “If I Delegate The Job, My Subordinate Will Learn And Eventually It Might Make Me Redundant As A Manager”

The feeling probably stems from a sense of insecurity and the lack of confidence which needs to be addressed. Managers should realize that the advantage of delegation outweighs the setbacks of this potential scenario.

If a manager succeeds in developing an outstanding subordinate, it will certainly reflect on her effectiveness as a manager. If a manager develops a subordinate well, she is more likely to gain a loyal subordinate who will speak highly of her a manager.

If she does not delegate for the above reason, end-result will still be unfavourable. The manager’s own work gets piled up, she works longer hours and her own self development will be affected.

The 4-Step Process to Delegation

1. Analyse the task/assignment in question and decide what needs to be delegated.

1. Which part of the project can be delegated and to whom?
2. What needs to be controlled by you?
3. What are the key elements of the task that require strict adherence?
4. Which part do you allow creativity and initiatives of the subordinates?
5. What limitations do you have in terms of resources, for example budgets time, etc?
6. What results do I want and by when?

2. Select The Right Person 

3. What criteria would I base the selection of the person on?
4. Does she have the knowledge and skill?
5. What kind of guidance and training would she need?
6. Is this an area which she would be particularly excited about.
7. What other responsibilities does she presently have

3. Make The Delegation

1. Describe the overall picture of the task or assignment.
2. Clarify your expectations in terms of desired results.
3. Define the limitations of time, budget and resources.
4. Check with her for understanding and allow for questions.
5. Ask her for her plans on how she intends to go about the job.
6. Provide suggestions and ideas and discuss variations, if any.
7. Solicit her commitment to the task.
8. Establish agreement on follow-up discussion – when and where.

4. Follow-up

A delegation is only as good as the results it brings for you. Following up to ensure that the assignment is being carried out well is an integral part of delegation. The subordinate might need help or guidance from you – and failure to follow up would give rise to a gap in results. To delegate without control and follow-up may be counter-productive. WAW

As a manager you would probably have asked that question – not just once but many times. You may also have had that frustration of trying to understand your failure in getting the occasional one or two non-performers to meet up to your expectations.

You have given that person a dressing down for not meeting up to your standards. She may have geared up the next day but six months or even six weeks down the road… she’s back to square one. Why?

It makes a lot of sense for us to find out why people don’’ perform -–because knowing the cause of the performance deficiency will enable us to deal with this issue. If you go up to a non-performer and ask her why she is not performing or doing her job as well as you expect, you are not likely to get any truth out of her but a defensive excuse. Even assuming that she’s going to be dead honest, what might she say? Would the answers in her mind if not on the tip of her tongue be something like one or more of the following:

• Am I not (performing)?
• I don’t know how.
• I can’t do it.
• I don’t want to do it.

What’s behind these possible responses?

1. “AM I NOT”

Startled, a staff confronted with a realization that somebody up there thinks she’s not doing her job, immediately responds: “I always thought I did what they wanted me to do… now what exactly do they expect form me?”

This a common scenario arising out of either or both of the following reasons:

Lack of Clarity of Expectation/Performance If employees are not told exactly what standards they need to achieve to do good work, then “good work” can be anything to anybody. For instance, an employee might think that picking up a ringing telephone as soon as she can finish her current preoccupation is good enough irregardless of how long it takes her. We know a caller expects better. Incongruence between expectations and assumptions made causes misunderstanding between staff and managers.

Lack of Regular Feedback When is the last time you sat down with a staff and talked about work and short coming in a positive and constructive manner? When is the last time your boss did it with you?

Lack of regular and specific feedback on work performance would mean that performer may be operating under a fallacy that all is well, when it is not. Performance feedback has to be specific and focussed on behavior rather than attitude in order to produce desired reactions. There’s world of difference between saying “You are not doing your job well because you are stubborn” – attitude focussed – and “I requested for your report three weeks ago and I reminded you three times but I still didn’t get anything. May I know why?” – behavior focussed. Telling a person that she is stubborn, only produces defensive reactions.

2. “I DON’T KNOW HOW”

This is obviously a case of lack of competence and training or coaching would be necessary. However, short-term and non-result-oriented approaches to training non-performers are commonly adopted such as:

Pray and Pray Method Certain personnel are sent to public seminars or trained in simple one to two days in-company programs. Once back in their workplaces, they might try for a period but most will lapse back to old ways when they find that they are the only one doing it and the rest are not.

“Bandaid” Method Quick fix solutions to incompetence often give no results. Training alone is insufficient if staff finds that they do not get the support that they need from the systems, or reinforcement from their supervisors and management.

Leave it to the Training Department This is where supervisors and managers feel that only the training department has a role to play in training employees. On-the-job training and personal coaching is usually not emphasized and not done. Staff would do much better if they had mentors to coach and guide them

3. “I DON’T WANT TO DO IT”

When a staff have this in her mind she’s obviously not committed to what she has to do. What gives rise to this?

Lack of Leadership Over and over again I have found that organizations that are successful are led by champions who not only “talk” but “walk their talk” as well. You simply cannot get people to do what you won’t do.

In our local scenario, we often hear the following: “My boss is not doing it, why should I?”

Leadership is the key to superior or staff performance. Leadership does not mean threatening people to do things. A person will only commit to when they believe in and the best way to get them to believe in it, is to involve them.

Consequence of Performance If  good performance is not rewarded and recognized, staff will not see what’s in if for them. Sometimes, good performance might even be discouraged, as illustrated in the following scenario:

A supermarket employee was sweeping the floor when a customer approached her for directions to find a can of beans. The employee helped the customer find what she wanted. She then returned to her task of sweeping. Her superior confronted her and asked her why she is taking so long to sweep the floor.

The employee replied, “I was helping a customer find a can of beans,” whereupon the supervisor retorted, “Don’t give me that crap! Just get the sweeping done fast!”

How do you think the employee will behave should a similar situation arise?

Negative Peer Influence Peer pressure exerts a considerable influence on individuals’ performance, either for the better or worse. New employees will tend to adopt the work attitudes and behaviors practiced by the majority. Similarly, newly hired employees might find it an upward battle to carry on with the good attitudes and skills they may have acquired elsewhere.

If they feel that the best way to get the top is to butter-up their managers, good performance becomes secondary and unimportant.

4. “I CAN’T DO IT”

Staff might know “how to” may even “want to” but often can’t perform. Why?

Poor Support From Systems and Procedures Staff may be committed to good performance but could be facing a road block to getting their job done. System and procedures within an organization could actually be preventing a staff from good performance. Cumbersome procedures, internally-focused policies instead of customer-focused, lack of or outdated equipment are some examples.

Lack of Authority  Some staff may want to get things done for an organization, but simply don’t have the authority to do so. Control systems in many organizations are

designed to prevent abuse and misdemeanors but also act as stumbling blocks to those staff who genuinely want to do good work.

Here are some suggestion to build a high-performance workforce:

1. Provide clarity of expectations of work performance.
2. Carry out regular performance feedback sessions.
3. Have training that meets performance improvement needs.
4. Get manager to coach and mentor staff.
5. Provide leadership by example.
6. Ensure that good performance gets significant rewards and recognition.
7. Build a positive, performance based work culture.
8. Examine systems, procedures and facilities for improvements.

By K C See

HOW MANY OF YOU HAVE FELT FRUSTRATED IN YOUR JOB BECAUSE you can’t get your boss to see things your way? You rant and rave and tell your colleagues or husband that your boss is an idiot.

But, think again. It may be you who is partly at fault. Maybe your ideas are just not presented in the right way. Maybe you have not communicated effectively enough to get results.

Bear in mind that the boss is a human being, and like any other human being, she can be influenced. She has her own share of concerns and difficulties in her job as a boss. She has an ego like you have and she wants to be made to feel good once in a while.

Your aim is to get the boss to give you what you want. Success in this area is a question of good communication skills. You also need to be armed with a lot of fact, a bit of strategy, a good deal of patience and confidence.

Getting the boss to agree with your ideas and act on them will, in the long term, require both parties to win. You can’t always get agreement all the time, but here are ten points to help you load the odds in your favor.

1. Start Off On A Positive Note

Obviously, putting a person in a negative and defensive mood from the very onset is not going to get you anywhere. How would you like somebody coming up to you every now and then to tell you that she has a problem? The next time you see her, you see a “problem child” and inevitably you will not feel very inclined to listen to her, much less be enthusiastic about what is to be discussed.

Start off with something casual, but appropriate, such as “How was your golf on Sunday?” Putting your boss at ease makes her feel relaxed and therefore more receptive to what is presented.

But if your boss is a no-nonsense type and is obviously thinking about work when you see her, “golf” is not such a good idea. In this case, just avoid starting off with anything negative.

2. Know What Your Objectives Are

Many of us have gone through a lot of sessions with the boss, groping in the dark and ending up not getting anywhere. Worse still, the boss may feel that you are wasting her time.

Most of the time, it is because the boss talked to you out of what you want to say or she out-talked you and run rings around you. Sometimes it could be because your mind just went blank, forgetting the speech that you have memorized diligently the last two days.

Focusing on your objectives and moving the discussion towards the bull’s eye is very important. Know what you want, beat around the bush a little if necessary, but don’t deviate from your purpose.

If you keep focused, it will not be easy for your boss to take the discussion into another plane. Ask yourself, “What do I want out of the meeting?” or “What do I want him to do?” before going into the discussion.

3. Know When To Present Your Ideas

If you are going to ask your boss for a raise, you are not going to choose a time when her husband just left her, or her last BMW just got smashed or when she has just finished giving a lecture to your errant colleague. Check the weather in her room and determine if the sun is shining or Typhoon Molly is raging, before you walk in.

Having a chat with her secretary will take you a long way. If there’s no secretary, ask the boss, “Can I take up some of your time?” and listen to (as well as watch) how she replies you. If the signs are not good, make an excuse and get out.

4. Present Supporting Facts and Figures, Not Just Opinion

Opinions are just opinions and without supporting facts and figures, it will hold very little water and can be easily subjected to challenges. Nobody can challenge valid facts and figures, not even the boss (unless she is just totally unreasonable).

Even if your boss normally values your opinion, you will look much better in her eyes if you have facts and figures to back up your opinion. Do some research and homework if necessary, and put your presentation or proposal together in a logical and convincing way. Telling the boss that you feel that staff’s morale is low, for example, without any supporting facts is going to lead to questions which you might not be able answer. You will not come off well as you will appear unprepared should this occur.

5. Anticipate Her reactions & Questions

If you have worked for your boss long enough, and if you have paid enough attention, you would be able to see a pattern of behavior, know how she will react and even questions that she is likely to ask. People are predictable and behave in particular ways under certain circumstances.

Plan your strategy before you see her.

I am not saying that you should memorize a script word for word but to formulate an approach based on anticipated reactions. Anticipating her possible responses and questions helps you to prepare yourself with suitable responses-responses that will satisfy her. In that way, you both win.

6. Empathize With Your Boss

The ability to put yourself in the other person’s shoes helps you to fit your approach to that person’s needs and concerns. One should not communicate from one’s own point of view only, but with the other person in mind. Try to see the situation from her side and structure your communication to fit into her frame of mind.

Imagine, your boss asked you last week to look into the Photostat machine which is giving a lot of problems. You also know that just this week, she received a memo from head office asking all branches to cut cost. How do you think you’ll fare if you go up and say, “Excuse me, boss, you know the Photostat machine you asked me to look into? Teruk-lah. Must buy a new one – should cost about $6,500. Is that OK with you?”

I’m sure you’ll agree that you hardly stand a chance in getting your proposal approved.

What if you go this way?

“Excuse me, boss, you know the Photostat machine you asked me to look into? Well… I checked the maintenance record for the last six months and found that our average maintenance cost a month is $358. That is very high and it’s because we changed two drums in the last six months. The present drum is already beginning to wear off. I have also checked the cost per copy and I found that our average cost per copy is 7.2 cents. The normal should only be around four cents. I think we must do something about it… The installment for a new machine is only $425 a month. What do you think, boss? Should we look into a new one?”

What do you think? Certainly this manner of empathizing, providing facts and figures will give you better results.

7. Don’t bring Problems Without Possible Solutions

Back to the idea of not being a problem child. If you have to go to the boss with a problem, be sure to also have some possible solutions in mind. In this way, you showed that you have given the matter some thoughts.

You can influence her into agreeing to a particular, suggested solution by showing her your reasons behind it and the likely outcome of that particular alternative. To top it all, you can even make her feel that it is her idea.

You can do this by asking her, “Do you think we should…?” If she says yes, it becomes her idea. That way, you get a commitment. Never mind if it is actually you who put that idea in her head.

8. Provide Options, Alternative & Compromises If Necessary

Be ready with alternatives and do not stand fast and stubborn on to a particular option. If she accepts the idea, give her the leeway as to which particular choice she wants to make.

For instance, if you can get your boss to agree to buy a new Photostat machine, it may not be worthwhile insisting on a particular brand.

You should provide the pros and the cons, make your recommendations but leave it to her to decide.

9. Get Agreement By Asking Questions

This is a very powerful techniques in getting what you want. The idea here is to ASK, don’t TELL. No boss likes to be told anything. They do have their pride and ego and they agree to things easier if they are asked – and not told.

For example, don’t tell the boss that it is her responsibility to help you, should you have any problems. How about asking, “Boss, I understand that you have been in the company for many years, and if I need any help, I would like to come to you for your advice. Is that all right?” Which boss will ever say no?

Ask, don’t tell, and get agreement as your discussion proceed. You will find that by asking clever questions, you will be the one who is actually in control and will eventually get what you want.

10. Get Commitment By Fixing Specifics

The worse that could happen after doing all the above is to get agreement but no commitment at all.

It will be a waste of effort to leave a meeting with your boss with just her agreement to look into a certain matter but without a commitment as to when you can check back with her on the matter. To get results, get commitment. Anything will suffice as long as it is definite, for example the date as to when you can go back to her, or date for the meeting she agreed to hold or budget for the Photostat machine she agreed to.

Incidentally, you do not get her commitment by telling her… Ask for it without appearing to do so.

If you keeping in mind all these ten points, you should not have any difficulty in getting ideas to your boss with results as an outcome. The only factor is confidence. Having the self-confidence will ultimately decide whether you will win. To get confidence, ask yourself what is the worst thing that can happen to you if you don’t get what you want?

Why worry? After all, if you never try, you’ll never know.