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Certainly it's no great revelation that most of us would like to be happier. By extension, most of us would like for our employees to be happier. A great deal of ink has been spilled on the subject of happiness and, as with most subjects, some of what's been written is pure bunk and much of it has some merit.
Abraham Maslow is a well-recognized authority on the subject of satisfaction in life. In his
Hierarchy of Needs, we find esteem (sense of accomplishment, reputation, etc) and self-actualization (personal growth and fulfillment) in the top two levels.
Here's an article by
Scott Mautz in which he explains that employees will likely be happier if they're empowered - given some autonomy in their work. That seems to match up - right? Well, how complicated is that - giving employees more responsibility? It turns out there are some very important considerations in handing over responsibility...apart from the fact that, for some bosses, the very idea of transferring responsibility to their employees scares them to death.
In my own experience, I've worked for people who were happy to transfer responsibility, some reluctant ones, and several who failed in some aspect of
their
part of the new arrangement. While I believe most of those reporting to me have found the experience rewarding in recent years, I'm pretty sure some from years ago might have disbenefitted from my inexperience with leadership.
The Empowered Employee, and His/Her Boss,
Have New
Responsibilities
As Mautz points out, giving away work is hard work.
Not only does the newly empowered employee take on unaccustomed accountability - the arrangement will work smoothly and productively only if the supervisor recognizes and fulfills some very important new responsibilities.
Some conditions must be met before the empowering takes place. An atmosphere of trust must be well-established and fully recognized by the employee, as well as the supervisor. Without that, the whole plan is built on a weak foundation and doomed to fail.
The transfer of responsibility must be accompanied by an agreement spelling out what can be expected by, and of, each party. It must include communication loops, designed in a way that they are pleasant experiences for the employee and the supervisor. A mission, goals, and how to measure progress toward them must be included.
Obviously the employee must have the necessary knowledge and skills to handle the new responsibility. If that is lacking, the plan must include education and training to make it so.
The supervisor must provide rewards, both tangible and of the touchy-feely sort to make this a fulfilling experience for the employee. Much of this indirectly benefits the supervisor as well - offering camaraderie and well-deserved praise is certainly one of the enjoyable fringe benefits of a supervisory role and of life in general - at least I find it so.
Mautz' article elaborates insightfully on each of these elements of effective delegation. Enjoy!
Do More of What
You Love Doing -
and What
You Get PAID For!
Are you a business coach, or do you have some other role in advising business leaders on ways to improve their businesses? When you're face to face with your clients, you're doing the work you love - AND that you get paid for. If you write your own promotional material to attract new business, that work takes you away from time with the clients you're already helping. It also mentally distracts you from that work. Your coaching work also distracts you from your promotional writing, very likely detracting from its effectiveness. Why not let Unity Copywriting write those pieces for you so you can spend your time and effort on your most important work?
My goal as a copywriter is to give you back most of the time you spend writing promotional material to attract new clients and communicate with existing ones about your services (I'll keep a little of that time while you explain to me exactly what you want). That way you can focus on your coaching work and be relieved of the mental burden and time demands of writing your promotions, while I explain to your clients and prospects the benefits you offer them. Please call (814-590-3854 or 603-835-3215) or email me so we can discuss how we might work together.
Put My Experience to Work for You...
As a practitioner and student of leadership for over 45 years, and in recent years a business coach myself, my qualifications to help you promote your coaching business are uniquely focused on your copywriting needs. And I love writing about this work. So, in a fraction of the time you would spend writing a white paper, case study, blog, newsletter, article or book, you can tell me the idea you want to convey or the story you want to tell, and the tone you'd like to use. Then I'll go to work writing that piece while you continue your work with your clients.
After I've written something for you, we'll review it together and make any necessary adjustments so it sends exactly the message you want - and there's no additional charge for any rewriting I do.
I'd Love to Hear from You
Whether you're new to leadership or a seasoned veteran, and accustomed to the complicated process of delegation, I'd love to hear how the ideas and recommendations in this and any of my other messages make your life and business more effective, or if you have some reservations about them. Your thoughts on this week's topic and other ideas you have for improving your business and your life are very interesting to me. I love hearing these kinds of ideas and learning from them.
If you email me whatever's on your mind, please give me a phone number or a Skype address, or send me (see my Skype address below) a Skype contact request, and mention that you read my newsletter. This mention is important - with all the spammers, phishermen, etc. out there, I've gotten very selective about my connections on networking services. If your name is unfamiliar to me, I'll consider your contact request when you tell me your reason for wanting to connect with me...
Conversations are often necessary to discuss complex ideas, and conversations occur only face to face or on the phone; hence, my request for your phone or Skype information. Email and other forms of one-way electronic communication are data transfers, and are very useful for many types of communication. However, they don't allow for the exchange of ideas, emotions, and inflection that characterize conversations, so please call me or tell me how to call you. Now, e
ven if you're not a Skye subscriber, you can call me directly through Skype. Just dial 603-835-3215 from any phone in the U. S. Of course, if you call from outside the U. S., you'll need the +1 prefix. If you're calling from Argentina, you're welcome to call my Argentine number, +54 9 3868 459586.
Please Help me Spread my Message Where It's Welcome..
Please pass along any of my weekly messages to anyone you think will find value in them. If someone forwarded this to you, and you'd like to hear more, please send me an email and I'll be glad to add you to my mailing list, which I never sell, rent, or even add a name to without permission.
On the other hand, if you'd rather not receive these messages any more, simply click the "unsubscribe" link below. I'll promptly remove you from the list...and I promise you won't hurt my feelings. It's my desire to send these ideas only to people who find them interesting and useful.
Join me here again next week for more unique ideas on how to get more done in your life and business, while enjoying it more. Consider the value of giving away some of your work, and do it thoughtfully - hopefully you'll find some useful guidance for the process in Mautz' article.
Thanks for reading. Have a wonderful week
, and contact me
to discuss how we can work together to add value to what
you
do. Our conversation about how we can cooperate is totally on me. You won't pay me a dime until you hire me to write something for you.
Be well, my friends.
John Stevens
Marketing Support for the Business Coaching Industry
Office and cell phone: 814-590-3854 (I'll get a message wherever I am)
In Argentina: +54(country code) 9 3868 459586
Skype: johnbstevens1943, or call me directly on Skype: 603-835-3215
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About John
Throughout a career spanning over 45 years my management style has been one of building teams to bring several competent people together to focus on a common objective.
As I transition to life in the Argentine outback, my focus will shift to helping other business coaches and advisers get their message out to their prospective clients. With my first-hand knowledge of the benefits of effective business coaching, I am uniquely qualified to work with business advisers of all stripes convey their message.
Read More >
Contact Info
John B. Stevens, Freelance Copywriter
Phone: 814-590-3854
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