Empowering Direct Reports

by Mike Thomas
(Chesapeake, Va, US)

One of the most important practices that I've learned is to ensure that all direct reports are empowered to make decisions and to ensure that they own the process.

I am a Procurement Administrator for a local municipality with a staff of 10.

One of the first things that I did upon taking the leadership helm was to assign the various city departments to the different buyers.

I often coach the staff on being responsible and taking ownership for their actions. We are a team where I serve as the coach.

The results are that I don't have to get involved with all of the minor details of the day-to-day activities of their job, and the staff is more confident, and more productive.

In order to have time to lead, leaders must delegate.