Leadership functions: main skills Defining the Task Planning Delegating

1. Module 2: Skills related to leadership functions • Leadership functions: main skills • Defining the Task • Planning • Delegating

2. The RoleFunctions • Defining the task • Planning • Briefing • Controlling • Delegating • Evaluating • Motivating • Organizing • Providing an example

3. Main Leadership SKILLS • Understanding the needs and characteristics of the post • Knowing and using the resources of the group • Defining the task • Planning • Communicating • Controlling group performance • Motivating • Setting the example • Delegating • Counseling • Representing the group • Evaluating

4. Exercise

5. Mounir Fadi Imad Jeanine Daad Issam • The Center of Educational Studies is an NGO who is organizing a workshop on leadership skills for youth leaders. Issamhad to work hard in order to make the workshop succeed. He engaged Jeanine to help him in the planning and organization of the event. • Issam: president elected of the NGO • Jeanine: expert in conference organization (outside the NGO) • Daad: active member of the NGO • Fadi: new member of the NGO • Imad: responsible for the equipment at the office of the NGO • Mounir: an employee at the office of the NGO

6. The day before the workshop, Jeanine askedIssam to photocopy a 5-pages file, for the event to be distributed to the media at the opening session. • IssamdirectlyaskedDaadan active member of the NGO to do this task as fast as possible. But Daad postponed the task till the next morning thinking that she would have the time to do the photocopies at 8.30 since the workshop doesn’t start before 10.00.am. • That night, Daad suffered from a severe toothache and after long hours of insomnia decided to go urgently the next morning to the dentist, because the pain was unbearable. In the morning, she called Issam and informed him that she will be absent and she didn’t prepare the copies, and that the file was on her desk. • Issamcalled Fadi a new member of the NGO to do this task, as an urgent priority because the workshop would take place this morning. • Fadi rushed to Imad, the person responsible for the machinery at the NGO center but he couldn’t find him is his office, where the only photocopy machine was. According to Mounir, the next door office mate, Imad had gone out to buy some cigarettes and would be 15 minutes later. Fadi asked Mounir to help him but he replied that he does know how to operate the photocopy machine but that this was not among his job description. • Fadi decided to do the urgent job by himself , he picked up the electrical wire of the machine and inserted it in the electrical outlet in the wall. Suddenly, the machine exploded because it usually works through an adapter and Imad had removed the adaptor to use it on another machine. • (The machine has a 110V capacity while the electrical current in the company was 220V)

7. Mounir Fadi Imad Jeanine Daad Issam Distribute the responsibility of what happened from: 1(the most responsible) to 6 (the least responsible) among the 6 persons, a number couldn’t be repeated. • Issam: president elected of the NGO • Jeanine: expert in conference organization (outside the NGO) • Daad: active member of the NGO • Fadi: new member of the NGO • Imad: responsible for the equipment at the office of the NGO • Mounir: an employee at the office of the NGO

8. Defining the task

9. What is a task? It is something that needs to be done . • It must be clear :If it is vague, leader has to break it down into smaller components because everyone in the team, including him must be clear about what has to be accomplished. Without clarity there is confusion which leads to chaos, frustration and often a withdrawal of goodwill and participation • The smaller components can be called objectives and must be SMART. Specific, easily understood, time-framed, measurable and realistic for the person undertaking it

10. Task-oriented leaders define roles and set goals for themselves and their employees • They help employees understand what is expected of them and then manage their activities to accomplish objectives. • Task-oriented leadership style includes aspects of task management and leadership, it includes: • taking responsibility for decisions, setting short- and long-term strategic goals • coordinating work activities, paying attention to administrative details, monitoring product quality and preparing financial reports

11. Task oriented leadership Strengths: Clarity of purpose and precise task definitions are two strengths of the task-oriented leadership style. They ensure that group members have a clear understanding of their individual roles. This style is well suited to structured work environments, in which repeating well-defined processes usually results in high levels of productivity and quality. Weaknesses: It includes a fear of breaking the rules among employees, which may lead to a lack of creativity and innovation and low morale. Creative individuals may become demoralized and leave to find interesting opportunities elsewhere. In an unstructured environment, such as a NGO’s, creativity and innovation are some of the key success factors.

12. Balanced style Leaders can use both of the 2 styles: • Task-oriented leadership style to define tasks and expectations • Relationship-oriented leadership style to motivate ordinary employees to achieve extraordinary results

13. How Knowing if the task is understood? • Never ask the question, “do you understand?” You will invariably receive a “yes”! • It is much more useful to invite the other person to explain their understanding of the task. This gives the opportunity to correct any misunderstandings

14. Planning

15. Planning • It means building a mental bridge from where you are now to where you want to be when you have achieved the objective before you • It requires the: From leadership perspective, should leaders make the plan by themselves or share the planning function with their teams? ?

16. The planning continuum John Adair

17. Which style do you choose? • The more are people share decisions affecting their working life, the more they are motivated to carry them out. This is empowerment. • But, at the far right of the continuum, leader could lose his control over the outcome. • There is no one right style, it depends on several key factors :time available to plan or competence level of the team members… A good leader, working with individuals or teams will operate at different points on the scale during day.

18. Planning Process • Consider the objectives and tasks : What do you want to accomplish? • Consider the resources (equipment, knowledge, skills, and attitudes) • Consider the alternatives: Brainstorm • Reach a decision, evaluate each option • Write the plan down and review it with the post • Executethe plan • Evaluatethe plan Plan should be tested, and could be revised during work (due to circumstances) but allowing too many unnecessary changes could be confusing

19. Delegating

20. Leila’s case

21. Leila was a capable and enthusiastic professional. She was promoted to manage a group of 9 persons doing work very similar to her own past assignment. She began her new position. She knew that she had greater expertise than her team members and could do the work better and faster than they could. She decided to focus on getting the work out and initiate further job training and delegation at a future date. She did not pass on any major assignments to her employees; she did much of the work herself. As time passed, her hours of work increased steadily and she was less and less available to her employees—and to her own manager, with whom coordination was important. Her employees were given routine work, received no training, and actually knew very little about major projects in progress. After 60 days, Leila's manager called her in to discuss her performance. Leila looked forward to the meeting because she felt that she was working very hard and doing a good job. What would you say to Leila if you were her manager? ?

22. What is Delegation? Delegation is the on-going process by which a leader assigns additional tasks (responsibilities) to a member of his team in such a way that there is acceptance of responsibility for the assigned tasks

23. Why Not Delegate?Some preconceived ideas • We can do it faster and better • We think they can't handle the assignment and will make a mess of it • It takes too long to train/guide them to do it • If we train them to do it then wouldn't we become dispensable?

24. Delegation process • Determine what you will delegate • Choose the right person to delegate the task to "The secret to success lies not in doing your own work, but in recognizing the right person to do it." Andrew Carnegie • Clarify the desired resultsWhen results are clear, it allows the employees to use their creativity and resources to accomplish the task • Clearly define the employee's responsibility and authority as it relates to the delegated task • Follow up the workThe follow up meetings should be focused on monitoring progress and determining the need for assistance 

25. How to delegate? • Select the task to be delegated and match it to the proper person • Meet for the initial delegation and motivate • Maintain supervisory control - observe, review and coach

26. How to delegate?Select the task to be delegated and match it to the proper person Delegation is not the assignment of routine tasks to anyone who happens to be available. There is a need to assess strengths, weaknesses and previous experience of all available personnel and then match them with tasks that will utilize their strengths and experience.

27. How to delegate?Meet for the initial delegation and motivate The key to successful delegation is communication of the importance of the assigned tasks and how they fit into the grand scheme of things. It is important to present the tasks from the perspective of the person and to ensure that there is benefit for him.

28. How to delegate?Maintain supervisory control - observe, review and coach Delegation is not the abandonment of tasks. A leader still responsible to observe for follow-through and review of the delegated areas. This will help to decide whether to intervene or to allow failing and learning from mistakes.