Vacation time: learn to delegate!
Cell phones going off at the beach, personal e-mails full of work messages. . . Do these situations ring a bell? For many people, “vacation” does not rhyme with “relaxation.” And yet, knowing how to delegate is a key human resources skill! This summer, Hrjob.ca gives you a few tips on how to manage your absence better.
Because they fear losing part of their authority or by lack of trust in others, many HR professionals hesitate to hand over a part of their duties to their co-workers when vacation time rolls around. The result: you work longer hours, files pile up and vacation is no longer vacation. To avoid burnout, learn to delegate effectively.
Start by analyzing your own duties, in order to decide what can safely be left to someone else and what cannot. On a daily basis, only a small portion of your duties require strategic skills. From the initial screening of CVs to the administrative follow-up of work accidents, a whole series of activities can be performed by a short-term replacement. Then propose a list of duties and write it down, as you would for specifications. Be very specific on the objectives to be met, standards to be observed, means to be used, and the limits of the assignee’s decision-making authority. That being said, no need to be shy! Delegating is not about offloading unpleasant tasks.
Once the breakdown of tasks is set, the time has come to choose someone. At this step, you should be thoroughly familiar with your circle to properly evaluate the motivation, skills and limitations of everyone. Do not stop at what your co-workers can already do. Think in terms of unexploited potential. You have to boost your replacement by giving him or her decisions involving responsibility. Feeling that he or she has your trust will reinforce motivation. Give the person true leeway in doing the work, and do not always be looking over his or her shoulder. Remember, you’re on vacation! There’s no need to call the office every day to hold on to your sense of indispensability.
Conversely, before and especially after your period of absence, plan on meetings to make sure the delegation is running smoothly. This will enable an assessment of the replacement’s progress. If the results are positive, a promotion or a salary increase may be called for.
You have understood that delegating is not a last-minute affair. Sometimes, it may require months of advance preparation. Ultimately, though, delegating is a win-win operation. The recruiter enjoys a certain peace of mind, the replacement acquires management experience and the company builds it human capital.
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Preparing your maternity leave
Testimonial by Caroline Webster, Human Resources Manager
For the past three years, Caroline Webster has been the HR manager for the logistics platform of a large U.S. manufacturer of mechanical shovels. The young 30-year-old is in charge of recruiting, training and managerial coaching of executives on this 220-person team. In a few months, she will be having a baby. To prepare for her coming maternity leave, she is training her replacement.
Up to now, how did you organize your absences?
Usually, when I go on vacation, I am not replaced. I take leave in August and at Christmas, when my company shuts down. I always try to do as much as I can before and after. I train my assistants to manage simple things that can’t wait, such as work accidents. They provide the link with my managers. More technical projects such as staff training can wait until my return.
Will your pregnancy affect this company?
Yes, of course! This temporary fix won’t be able to work during my four to five months off work. And when I come back, I won’t be able to immediately pick up my usual pace. Last May, I therefore hired a trainee to work with. Given her skills and motivation, I plan to hire her as HR assistant. When I go on maternity leave, she will replace me for recruiting and training personnel. The more managerial duties will be taken up by the managers in the company’s various departments.
Is it difficult to be replaced, even temporarily?
Like everyone, I have a certain fear of delegating. I’m one of those people who need recognition, and to my mind, work is a major source of fulfillment. Many managers fear losing a bit of their power by being replaced. It can be tempting to not hire extra people and try to do everything yourself. Out of necessity, I will have to delegate more than I do now. The question is how to find my niche when I get back. I’ll have to transform the quantitative—working 12 hours a day—into the qualitative, i.e. by bringing true added value to my area of expertise and developing managerial abilities.
Worried?
Not really. I have increasingly greater self-confidence. . . Our corporate culture is to provide managers with career plans. My absence will be taken care of, while for a smaller company it would have been more of a problem. And then again, you have to put things in perspective—my replacement is straight out of school, while I have seven years of experience!