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Secrets From a Coach - Debbie Green & Laura Thomson's Podcast
Secrets From a Coach - Debbie Green & Laura Thomson's Podcast
177. Tips for Delegating Regardless of Status
This fourth episode in our 5-part series on Managing a Continuous Workload takes a practical approach looking at the skill of delegating. Delegation is not just for managers or senior people - it is sensible teamwork in action. As nature shows us, there is too much to do for one individual to safely carry it all alone - sharing workload and exchanging tasks is how success is sustained over time. (Even lone sharks share the tasks when hunting prey).
We share tips for shifting our mindset around delegating - less guilt, more achievement - its about reminding ourselves that we have choices. Whether to delegate more to the machines in our life to free up your thinking/resting time, or asking a colleague to help you out on a busy day - its about taking a tactical look at workload. We share our exclusive BRACE conversation format (benefits, reason, ask, collaborate, exchange) to help develop your confidence and approach to the conversation.
A useful listen for those who work 'unwatched' and need to even their load, or those who want to empower the ability to delegate for themselves or someone else. For the 'doers' amongst us, its about taking a bigger picture approach to how the do gets done. It might not be an easy conversation to start having, but in 6 months time it could have been a game-changer for your personal wellbeing and team success.
Hot topic for you? Take a deeper dive in our related episodes:
Ep, 168 Creating an Abundant Mindset as a Team
Ep. 156 Stretching Your Comfort Zone - Overcoming Nerves with guest Karl Green
Ep. 144 Shifting From Imposter to Empower
Ep. 137 Keeping Well in the Corporate World - with guest Lindsey Thompson-Wright
Secrets from a coach Thrive and maximise your potential in the evolving workplace. Your weekly podcast with Debbie Green of Wishfish and Laura Thompson-Staveley of phenomenal training. Deb, laura, you alright? Yeah, I'm doing well, really reflecting, after last week's podcast, actually, when we had done the amazing licks, how about?
Speaker 2:you, yeah, same. It made me stop and think about how I manage the workload really, so avoid that feeling of overwhelm and burnout and stress and all the different things that she mentioned. So, yeah, it was really reflective too.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and you know, I think that's the power of education, isn't it? Once you're able to put your finger on it, because you're able to label it and you sort of can define it, then you then know what to do. And I just thought it was really, really got me thinking. And, interestingly, Deb, I think we've hit onto something here, actually. So our focus for this four-part series was five-part series actually was all about managing continuous workload. So lots of people are using the phrase busy to describe how they're feeling at the moment, and I don't know any industry that is able to say to their people this is the year you can take your foot off the pedal, let's just ride and take it easy and, you know, reap the harvest of all the things that we've sown, because off the back of you know, there's been so much disruption and there's lots of opportunity and of course, you can keep a positive mindset. But all of that requires energy and I think it's hit on a bit of an interesting one.
Speaker 1:And I was having a conversation with someone at the weekend Deb and she had taken the decision to take a sabbatical because she could feel the joy had gone. She wasn't enjoying what she was doing anymore. She could see that actually she was more of a risk in the business than she might have been an asset, until she just had a bit of a breather and, you know, then came back in the game, kind of bouncing and ready to go. And interestingly, she was chatting with someone else that had taken a break because they were on gardening leave et cetera. And I think the fear that this person was thinking was will I ever want to switch it back on again, Like, do I take a sabbatical and then that's basically the beginning of an early retirement? And the other friend was saying no, actually I've got even more energy than before, but I'm much more assertive about boundaries and I'm genuinely doing something that feels like I'm working hard but because it's got that sense of choice after the benefit of having a break.
Speaker 1:So that was really interesting how relevant that was to the pod that we'd only just recorded when you think about it from that way.
Speaker 2:You know it's getting used to the fact that you can control your own boundaries and let go of stuff. You know, no one's telling you have to do everything, but I think it's set us up in a way that we feel we have to, because if we're not doing it, who's doing it? And then this sense of busyness keeps coming up, as you said time and time again, and you go you know certainly we're coaching people who go, okay, so tell me, you're busy doing what. And it's just so busy. I go, yeah, busy doing what.
Speaker 2:And then you get them to break it down as to you know what is that busy doing what? Because then in our heads it's bigger sometimes than it actually is. When we start to break it down and look at it for, as I said, for what it actually is, and then it stops our minds going I can't do it, I can't do it, I haven't got time, I'm just feeling complete stress by the amount of work. I don't know what to do next. It just stops us for that moment, letting it run away with us and not helping us. So taking time out is one of the things that we really have to do.
Speaker 1:And I certainly don't feel at the moment that economically it would be viable for me to take a year off. So you know, at some point that might be on the radar, but I think, like a lot of people, there's just not the ability to switch off your earnings for that amount of time. You just might not be in set up in that way. It might not be appropriate, you might not be able to do at the moment. But there are certainly things that you can do that can just take that sense of pressure away, which is why we're focusing this episode today on actually what are some everyday things that we can do and you always use the phrase I know it's a well-worn one but work smarter rather than working harder. If you already feel like you're at full capacity, maybe a one-year sabbatical isn't on your list of options that you're able to do.
Speaker 1:We're going to look particularly on this episode around tips for delegating regardless of status. You don't have to be the CEO of your organization to be able to ask other people to either help you out or do tasks on your behalf. So we're going to look at almost delegating as a mindset rather than an organizational structure. You don't have to be at a certain level in order to do that. It's teamwork really in practice, but we're going to remove if D for delegating feels like a bit of a dirty word.
Speaker 2:We're just going to reframe the perception about it. Yeah, remove the dirt from it. I think it's also one of the biggest topics of going well, they're just as busy as me. Therefore, I can't really delegate that, because they've just got as much on their plate as everyone else. So it is a really interesting one. I think it's a skill that is going to help us over the next however many months or years, to be able to do it and do it well.
Speaker 1:I think it's always interesting as a facilitator coach to look at content that you know you're not naturally gifted to do so. As we know from the Saboteurs exercise, I'm a hyperachiever and I'm a people pleaser, which is probably the least likely concoction of someone that is therefore going to have as their default go-to. I wouldn't look at a list on a busy day and go, right, who can I get to do this for me? Because there's too much on? It just wouldn't be the first question. So I think, even looking at that question of who is the best person to do this task not because I'm going to start playing power games with people, but if there's too much work to do and you're not being able to do that task, it's going to have a knock-on effect. It's for the greater good to maybe refresh your mindset around how that task load gets done.
Speaker 2:Yeah, definitely. And it's such a good catch Because, as you said, if it's not your natural way of thinking, which I think majority of people I know they go. I've got a job, I'll make it happen. I've got a job, I'll make it happen. I know I'm the world's worst for that. I can do that, make it happen.
Speaker 2:But that ability, like we did last week, we're putting our newsletter together and I'm not the best person to do that at all. I'd love to, but I'm not. I haven't got the time to do it, I haven't got the creativity to do it, not to the standard of somebody in our team that can do that. And I think that's where you just have to delegate it to the right people who will do it in less time than I would if I tried it. I'd love to try it, but it's understanding your capacity in your capability, and actually it's better to delegate it to the person that knows how to do it in Probably three times less time than I would have taken to do it. They turned it around in like an hour that I would still be sitting there today working out how to do it. So that ability to have a team around you that you can trust and rely on, and take some skill sets, though, to set it up for that success.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, and then if someone enjoys it, they're more likely to have thought about it and dreamt up ideas as to how to do it better rather than dreading it, and it feel like this big task that's there that might slow down some other stuff as well. Interestingly, I'm just a pop this in at the start because there's a debt. You know my ponch on for all things non human.
Speaker 2:Yeah, the robots are here.
Speaker 1:The robots are here, so let's use them so I think there is also an opportunity maybe for us very overworked humans is just to take a pause and go. When I think of delegating, am I just thinking of a living, breathing human that can do that task? Actually, let me have a look at behind the scenes. In my microsoft office package, for example, there are so many new functions that have been put in because they have to be seen to be inclusive, so these are inclusivity functions to people. Last week I then they, they, they were saying how well they think that a lot of writing up to do and I said, oh, so if you discovered the auto typing dictation tool, they went what? And I showed them and you could see just like I had done three years ago going so the thinking is still yours, but you're delegating the typing to machines and it's kind of there and it's free so many people using chat, gpt to do their initial thinking for them.
Speaker 1:But if that doesn't feel like it's right for you, there are lots of different things that maybe you could do to automate or eliminate drag, and that I think, is one of the first places to start is to look at your working week or you working month ago. What is causing me drag. And what does that mean? To be able to simplify or eliminate, and it doesn't always have to be a human solution that is linked to delegation. Now here we are in the twenty twenties. We've got a whole host of computational power more in that phone than it took to put the blimmin rocket up to the moon. So can we actually enable not only technology to sell to us and generate more and more requirement to earn because you're buying all this stuff that the algorithms are telling you?
Speaker 1:Can we use the machines, do some of the things that drag and take us back? Because if you don't find it joyful sitting there type of a load of notes from a meeting you've been part of there's not a human alternative to delegate to. Then is there a machine alternative? And sometimes the busy you get, the less innovative you get to be able to look at different ways of working, smarter rather than harder. So that's just a little chip in right at the start. And are we going to do some practical examples of how might you delegate to a teammate, to your manager, but actually it doesn't always have to be a human. That is at the end of that delegating conversation. Is there a machine alternative?
Speaker 2:Oh, I love that. I'm going to have a look at that as well. Law, because, as you say, you can just speak into it and it types it up. That saves a whole heap of time and thought, doesn't it really download what's going on for you?
Speaker 1:Absolutely. I mean, we know from doing with this pod days, we now have three different software things that we use that all have an auto dictation function on it. So is there and that would have cost thousands of pounds just even four years ago to have retro captioned a video that you've done, and because there's been so much development to make technology more inclusive? Actually, the benefit is that there are also some very easy and quick to use and pretty precise captioning tools that you can use as well. So if you think about in the week ahead, if you've got loads of stuff you need to write up, doesn't have to be your fingers typing. Actually there is a machine alternative, whether it's on your phone, whether it's on the document, and if you already been there, done it, warn the t-shirt, then what else could you do to then build on that? If you feel like you're busy, is there a way to think smarter, and not just the human alternative, but that machine one as well?
Speaker 2:I love that, so should we. Should we take a bit of a deeper dive into how we can make delegation?
Speaker 1:part of our every day. Oh yes, please, deb, because, just like the geese, show us the reason why the geese fly in that formation is there's too much to do for one goose to do it on its own. And if the task is too much for one person to do it, there has to be some alternative ways that get other people kind of involved in on it. But, deb, I've got too much work to do. I really want to ask my colleague to help me out. How do I do it?
Speaker 2:Let's explore Lore. Before we explore how we do that, tell us about geese, because some people would have heard about it. It's an oldie but a great one. What are some of the other characteristics we need to think of if we've got a team around us and we're all flying in the formation towards the same thing? Just give us a little bit of a background of what the analogy sits behind, the geese analogy. What's it all?
Speaker 1:about All right. Well, it could probably be summed up, deb, in one word Aerodynamic. Oh love that. So you've got a bunch of geese. It's not random. The formation they fly in it's in the V formation. So let's bring this into the human world. Are we set up for clean aerodynamic ways of transferring information? Two different teams last week, deb, have left a workshop saying we are now going to do a quick check-in. We're going to call it a huddle or a get-together or what's the phrase you use.
Speaker 2:I put the one up for the status update. I don't think what the phrase was then status update.
Speaker 1:So if you, decide to call it. The purpose of that is we are going to form a much clearer idea as to what everyone is up to today, so we've got a bit of a bigger picture perspective on it. So the first thing is how those geese fly. So there is a formation, not random, there's an art behind that, so they fly as aerodynamically as possible. The next thing is that each goose flaps in a way that benefits the goose next to it. So we're not just chucking out information that is actually ruffling feathers. There is some thought and some team orientation behind your every manoeuvre, because the only reason you're up in the skies is because you've got the team behind you. The only reason you are able to achieve all the big things that you do is you're part of a team that is able to give you work. So we're reframing it.
Speaker 1:The second is the third one is that they share the load. So this is the one that I think is probably most relevant to delegation. So the geese know that if it's always the same geese at the edge who are having 40% more wind and drag and buffering all of that turbulence, then you get tired. And if the geese at the front get tired, then everyone slows down. So every now and then the geese just instinctually know they swap positions.
Speaker 1:So does it always have to be the same person running a team meeting? Is it always the same person that collates the actions at the end and feedback to everyone? If that, formally, is your role, great. If it's an assigned role that you've taken, is there an opportunity just to shift things around a little bit? It just creates a bit more energy and it also means that individually people are less kind of dragged down. The fourth one is we watch out for each other. So if a goose looks like it's struggling, the two next to it will have clocked it and then flapped a little bit harder. So it benefits no one if one of your teammates goes down with burnout as we talked about last week, as we talked about.
Speaker 2:yeah, that's true.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it creates shrapnel for all involved. No one wants to feel that they have contributed to a teammate going down, so it's therefore takes that kind of daily requirement, just watching out for each other. So, as well as delegating regardless of status, is there also an opportunity to open your eyes out? Where are there opportunities for you to help someone out? Because that law of reciprocity runs really deeply with humans. If you helped me out in March, I'm much more likely to want to help you out in July, when maybe I'm a bit lighter.
Speaker 1:And then the fifth one then is we celebrate success. So geese honk each other from behind. I love that and they take it upon themselves to then share the next kind of lined arms. So if you can see that the team is flagging a little bit, it doesn't always have to be the manager that is holding responsibility for team morale. If you're stuck in traffic, you're part of traffic. If you're part of a team that is overworked, busy and can't see the wood for the trees, you're part of that and you can be as part of the solution. It doesn't always have to be the manager who may not be aware that that level of overwork is going on.
Speaker 2:Yes, and I just love that. I know we've talked about it before, but that bit also avoids any of the guilt that you might have if you are delegating to someone else, because if you're aware of what the team goals are, so making sure that you're not just delegating tasks and it's not about burdening others, as you said, it's about what's our common goal as a team. And if you can do that status update and you do every day it doesn't have to be long, but it's like, okay, are we still flying in the right direction or have we got to pivot really quickly to do things? So I think focusing on and reminding yourself and others about is this aligned to the team goal is super important. And then communicating transparently so that open and honest approach can make a massive difference to that, so that you're really clear on what the overall objective is and what does success look like and who's going to do what within that role and everything else. And then being able to, I suppose, acknowledge people's capacity. So are they capable? Yes, they are. They've been employed for a reason, so why are you not utilizing that skill? So, as a manager, it might be. Your step back might be to just look at your team and go okay. So who has got the capacity? Who does want to grow and develop, who is quite happy doing what they do every day, but there might be others that want to learn and to get a better depth and understanding of what's going on in their team, and I think that's super important. And then being able to, I suppose, prioritize tasks off the back of that, because if you're all running in different directions, then somebody is going to fall down and fail, whereas if you're collectively coming together and talking about it, I think it can make a huge difference to the team feel, but also your feel as to how you're contributing, how you're part of it, how you're.
Speaker 2:I think it's being able to delegate well is such a valuable skill to do, and also by freeing up that time so somebody isn't carrying the load. As you said, there are two, maybe two other people that you might sign post over to help for the moment it's not forever and I think therefore, the communication and I know we keep saying communication, communication, communication, but it's super important is to be smart enough to, if you like, answer the questions that you're not getting as a manager, but answering them anyway. So I know you might be super busy at the moment. We're all heading towards this direction. We've all got lots on that we need to work on, so I encourage you, let's come together, let's work out our priorities. Let's all work together on this for the next week or day or month, wherever along it will be. I'm conscious of your own workload, so let's review that as well. So, as the manager I think we've talked about this before it's like you're conducting where all the resources going for that moment. It doesn't mean this is going to be forever, and I think that's.
Speaker 2:The other thing we've got to communicate is. This is just for now. We've got a bit of a bump to get over. As a team, we have to work together. So, whilst I appreciate you've got your own work, this is an opportunity for us to move this thing forward, and let's review at the end of every week.
Speaker 2:So the more communication you have, acknowledging that someone else has got loads of other stuff, but right now, the here and now means we have to pull together to work on this. That makes a huge difference. And telling someone this isn't going to be your job forever now, just putting it out there because a lot of people will think well, that's it, I've been given this. That means that's another thing I'm going to add to my plate. So I think the clarity and the boundaries have to be really clearly communicated by manager, team leader, each other. If you've delegated it to a teammate, it's like I just need your help right now. It doesn't mean I'm going to pass this over to you and it's off my shoulders and on yours now. It's not that. It's just, I just need your support right now to help me through this. And if you've set that up well, people will help. People will want to help.
Speaker 1:I think that's a really interesting catch step is about the timeframe around it. So even the language of all hands on deck, period of transformation, unprecedented times we're unprecedented then working with each other. So then there's, as you said, there's not that feeling of it's all just collecting, and I've got this to sort of add on to there's something called the star principle and I was just listening to doing that, just sort of the list almost to some things to consider. And for those of us that like a bit of a list, the star has got two hours. So the skills, time, authority, responsibility, recognition, so whether this is peer to peer and I'm going to ask in a moment some advice steps from you about how you might actually have that conversation but in your mind is a bit of prep, what the skills that are required to be able to for that task to happen.
Speaker 1:And someone said to me once if a task can be done to 80% of your ability, it is something that is ripe to be delegated. But sometimes we hold on to things because it's part of our identity, because we like it. So skills, so what is the skill set? Do you need to help someone out? Maybe just recognise the skills that they've got or what might be required for that. How much time does it take and do they have the time? What's the authority that's required? Are you given the whole task? Is this part of the task? So is there any authority issues that need to be just explained to that point?
Speaker 1:Responsibility for what is or isn't caught up within this task, and then the recognition. How are you going to recognise and say thank you? So it actually becomes a team bonding act in terms of delegating, rather than just someone quietly doing your work for you while you get the glory. So it's kind of that recognition bit. How are you going to say thank you? And that star idea could be just useful to plan out kind of what you might want to say in that conversation.
Speaker 1:But, debs, what will be fab for our final sort of focus in this episode is how do you actually have the conversation, and I think peer on peer. So you want to ask a teammate who and let's kind of layer the scene up a little bit they're older than you, the more experienced than you. You know they're really super busy themselves. However, it's become an apparent that actually they would be in a position to be able to have this task delegated. How do you have that conversation, debs? And then it might without sort of rerunning what we talked about on episode 175, I think it'd be useful to hear some thoughts about how you might have the conversation if you're delegating upwards to your manager or to someone senior.
Speaker 2:Or someone senior.
Speaker 1:Yes, can you take me through some tips, Debs. I think it'd be really useful.
Speaker 2:Some tips this is always a really interesting one to do that, because sometimes we sort of think well, my manager, if I'm going to do that, my manager's going to think I can't do the job I'm doing. Now, this is multi-layered. So, first of all, the relationship that you have with your manager is super important. Are they aware of where your strengths are, where your gaps are? Do they meet you every day? Do they chat to you? Do they have an understanding of you? If the answer to any of those is no, then you need to get closer to your manager. So, first of all, because without that trust or respect in that relationship, it then will be super hard to push back up your piece of work that you may not be able to do. And so, therefore, it's around again just stopping and thinking about what am I asking for here? So that conversation enables you to do some pre-planning, and I think it's to do it effectively. I think it comes all the way back to asking yourself what am I asking somebody to do for me, regardless of whether it's up, sideways, down, and therefore thinking about what is on my plate. Why am I asking this person to do that? Is it because I am overwhelmed? And that's what we're focusing on is that sense of overwhelm. I cannot do everything, and you hear people say that, so it's then approaching them with that, with a real open mind. So if the relationship is there, it's a lot easier to do it. If it isn't, then it's like trading it carefully through.
Speaker 2:So I appreciate that other person, choose the right person first of all, have a bit of foresight as to what their workload may be. I appreciate you might be just as busy as I am right now. What I'm finding owning it so it's a bit like what I'm finding how I'm feeling is completely overwhelmed and I don't know whether I'm coming or going. These are my words, as we always know, and I just need some extra support and help. And the reason I've reached out to you is because I know you've got the skills and capabilities to be able to support me with this particular piece of work. So therefore, I'm going to ask you if it's okay, if I can share some of my workload with you, and I'd love to be able to sit with you to go through what the objectives are. What am I requiring from you in order for us to work collectively or collaboratively on this so that the job still gets done and in return, I'll be able to support you. As you said earlier, I'll be able to support you whenever you need it.
Speaker 2:So I think it's that Making sure that you're really super clear on what it is. It's not everything that's on your plate, it's one thing. Can you remember? That person might be just as busy as yours, but if you've got that relationship and you're stepping into it From a feeling of what I need from you is the benefits of that would be we get things done.
Speaker 2:I feel less overwhelmed and I was stressed because we all manage our stress at different times in different ways. I found in teams, not everybody is overwhelmed or stressed at the same time. So that's a given. There will be somebody that is just breezing through everything. Their life is aligned, everything's in a good place. So therefore, that's one thing I've noticed in teams, not everybody is that overwhelmed and stressed at the same time.
Speaker 2:So it's being able to read the room, as we call it, as to say what can I do and who do I go to, who could help me, basically. And then it's the setting out the benefits of to them, to you, to the job, the task, whatever I'm, and then the consequences of that would be thank you, thank you. I appreciate the feedback. I really can't. I cannot thank you enough for stepping in and helping me, but then giving them, as you said, the praise so similar to star, but the ability to do that well, so it's that I, I feel my experience right now is this right now, it's not forever. I feel overwhelmed at the moment and I'm reaching out to you because I know you have the capacity to help and support and do it maybe better than I will, but this I'll take it back off you. So so it's that I'm knowing who you're gonna delegate it to is key.
Speaker 1:I was listening to you describe that example. It's almost like we are being a brace for each other. Yes, I'm right in thinking, as you talked about, it's been really clear in your mind what are the benefits of me asking someone to help me out? So been really clear on the benefits and explain them later. That's your be the reasoning behind why is that person? So that's the reason as to why is that person. Because your skills now and then that's why I've come to you. And the ask is to be really clear on the ask. This isn't an instruction, is not an order. Is that lounge around? I'm asking you if you would then be help me out to then collaborate, and then that's the sea. To then work together and then in exchange there could be something that I could then help. So you got benefits. Reason ask, collaborate, exchange nice. What a wonderful way to brace yourself with a bit of confidence, to then have that conversation in the pursuit of us being each other's brace, because if we're not holding each other up, we're falling apart.
Speaker 2:Yeah, absolutely yeah, we are put those braces in place to then balance out that's so cool and I think it's having the courage as well, cuz you have to be vulnerable, having level of vulnerability to ask for that help and a lot of people don't. For what a hundred one reasons, and that's probably their saboteurs. If you want to listen to what yours is, go back and listen to that episode. But I think it's also having that showing that level of vulnerability. I can't do everything, that's okay. I'm not able to do everything, and that's okay. I'm not alone in this, and that's okay as well.
Speaker 2:And that metaphor you use around the geese all flying on formation I'm part of something. So, whether it's my family team, my team team, I have whatever sports team, we are part of something that's bigger than us, and so to have a level of vulnerability to ask for that support, help and guidance I haven't heard anybody that has said no, I'm not gonna help you. So I think it's that having the courage to lean in and just step forward and going. Right now I just need some extra honking, so can you help me please?
Speaker 1:And not just any old honking devs has been honked from behind.
Speaker 2:Well, there we go, I'm with you, I'm flying, yeah, I'm flying. We always say we walk alongside you, I walk alongside you, and that's what we're doing. But we have to. Sometimes, if you haven't got somebody that's astute enough to recognize your you are struggling, then we have to be the ones that are asked to say right now I'm really struggling and it's okay to say that, and Just the relief, you see, when people say out loud, you can see the way just drift and go. Oh, my god, I'm not on my own having to deal with this stuff. And I think if we create that type of environment that has compassion and kindness at the heart of everything we do, oh, they won't be a toxic team anywhere. But it takes self-awareness to do that.
Speaker 1:Yeah, wow, gosh, what a powerful conversation, thank you. This is the fourth in our five-part focus, looking at managing continuous workloads, whether that is prioritizing and managing expectations as you go, whether it is a bigger conversation, renegotiating workloads in a win-win way. The reason why we're paying attention to this is you've got to catch it before it catches you out. We had the brilliant Lex last week talking about Burnout and what we can do to prevent that happening, because sadly, it's becoming a real hot topic of our time. One of the solutions behind that is actually how can I work in a more aerodynamic, smarter way and rather than having to wait until your top of the pile before you can start delegating downwards? Delegation is a lifestyle choice. It is who is the best person to do this? I think that's brilliant what you said about, and you're so right.
Speaker 1:Not everyone in the team might be equally overloaded. You might be the most overloaded person in that moment, but people might not know, because you're keeping it inside and keeping it to yourself. This isn't moaning about work, but it's recognizing. Actually, in order for us to get this done, to be a good teammate, I need to speak up now and then look at some different ways of doing it. Hopefully, this episode has given you some practical ways, as well as just the philosophical approach to delegating. It's not just for managers, it's for all of us, because there's too much work for one person to do In a hybrid world. We have to be even more upfront in our communication because it's less easy to catch sight of that, which is why Debs our final focus. Next week we're going to have a couple of little snippets to bring a bit of variety to it, looking at how do we keep mentally well when workload is ongoing, because I don't think there are many organizations that are saying don't worry, it's all going to be plain sailing for the years after next.
Speaker 1:Definitely not, no, so we've got to crack it now because, it's only going to get busier and noisier.
Speaker 2:Yes. So we've got to quieten it down with some good skills and techniques. Just quieten it down a bit, I think. So I think that leads to my call to action actually is that non-negotiable check-in with yourself. First of all, every day, if you're working, do not not do this. So have that non-negotiable check-in what am I working on today? What's my priorities? Have I got the capacity? Who might I need to call on for some support, as you said? Maybe think about how I might need to brace somebody else in and then do that and then that, just for self. But also, if you're a member of a team or you are leading a team, I think that huddle, as you said, that status check-in, status update, whatever you want to call it is a non-negotiable, regardless and how you choose to do it. As you said, there's many different ways we can do it, but I think that is going to help you moving forward.
Speaker 1:The non-negotiable check-in, love it. My share of the secret would be sometimes the best ideas for working smarter rather than harder exist in colleagues' head, because they're the people on the planet that understand the most about what that might be. So grab a colleague, get them to listen to this. And then, if there were three things that we could try out that just might help reduce drag, make things a little bit more dynamic, what might that be? And one of those things might be showing exchanging tasks in a different way, but have a wow chat. Ways of working.
Speaker 2:Yeah, love it. Oh my God, I love it. I'm so looking forward to next week as well, Law, I'm bracing myself for it.
Speaker 1:Yes, benefits reasons. Ask. Collaborate exchange.
Speaker 2:Yes, Love it love it.
Speaker 1:I can see the T-shirt now Debs.
Speaker 2:Oh my God, that's another one, isn't it? We have to do Love it, oh, but have a good one.
Speaker 1:Law, yeah, you too. All right, love you Bye. We hope you've enjoyed this podcast. We'd love to hear from you. Email us at contact at secretsfromacoachcom, or follow us on Instagram or Facebook. If you're a Spotify listener, give us a rating, as it's easier for people to find us, and if you want to know more, visit our website, wwwsecretsfromacoachcom, and sign up for our newsletter here to cheer you on and help you thrive in the ever-changing world of work.