Week 6 Discussion Response- Managing People & Promoting Collab

Week 6 Discussion: Managing People & Promoting Collaboration

One behaviour I would like to change in my professional life—particularly in how I manage and relate to others—is my tendency to take on too many responsibilities instead of effectively delegating tasks to team members. While I am often driven by a desire to maintain high standards and ensure quality control, this habit can unintentionally disempower others, stifle collaboration, and contribute to burnout—both for myself and for colleagues who might feel underutilized.

This pattern of behaviour reflects a reluctance to relinquish control, rooted in a perfectionist mindset. While it has occasionally led to excellent outcomes, it has more frequently resulted in missed opportunities for team development and strained timelines. As Marshall Goldsmith (2002) suggests in his concept of “feedforward,” rather than focusing on what I’ve done wrong in the past, I am looking ahead for ideas and strategies to improve delegation and promote team empowerment.

Incorporating the feedforward approach into this growth area, I would like to invite others to suggest actionable, future-oriented strategies I can use to better delegate tasks and responsibilities. I am particularly interested in ideas that can help me build trust, assess individual capabilities effectively, and create a psychologically safe environment where colleagues feel confident taking on new responsibilities. For example, instead of merely deciding who should handle a task based on efficiency, I want to learn how to hold brief developmental conversations, as outlined in Connor’s (2019) coaching framework, to match people with opportunities that help them grow. In doing so, I hope to move from being a task manager to a development-oriented leader.

Additionally, the insights from Chappelow and McCauley (2019) emphasize the importance of acknowledging what’s going well, not just correcting what’s wrong. I realize that by not recognizing when delegation does work well, I miss a crucial moment to reinforce positive behaviour. Incorporating regular, specific praise and positive reinforcement into my leadership style can support long-term behavioural change.

References

Chappelow, C., & McCauley, C. (2019, May 13). What good feedback really looks like. Harvard Business Review Digital Articles, 2–4. http://hbr.org

Connor, J. (2019, September 9). To coach junior employees, start with 4 conversations. Harvard Business Review Digital Articles, 2–6. http://hbr.org

Goldsmith, M. (2002). Try feedforward instead of feedback. Leader to Leader, 2002(25), 11–14.