This past weekend, I broke down and bought one of those "Roombas". If you're not familiar with this techno tool, allow me to explain. It's absolute magic for anyone who can't stand housework. It's a round gadget, about a foot in diameter, that has little wheels and travels around a room automatically vacuuming everything in its path. It's absolutely great. Today, I vacuumed while I wasn't even home! As I watched this machine go to work, it was pretty obvious that it knew what it was doing. I soon felt comfortable enough to leave it on its own. A half hour later, the machine beeped that it had completed the room. At that point, I got up, checked the job, cleaned out the machine, then repeated it all over again in another room. Then it struck me and I chuckled at the parallels between this Roomba and how people communicate trust. Do you manage employees? Supervise volunteers? Delegate to others? Then you know how important trust is. It's the foundation of relationships. Without trust, there is doubt, uncertainty, and untold stress. If you trust people, let them know it. But how? Here's some suggestions: DELEGATE, DON'T MICRO-MANAGE . All professionals take pride in their work. That's why, whether you delegate or not, you want the end product to be of excellent quality. Sometimes, when we micro-manage, it's because we are coming from a place of fear. The temptation to control every minute detail is immense, because we care. The recipient of this micro-managing reads this behavior as mistrust. In addition, it's discouraging and demotivating to be under the thumb of someone. It allows no room to grow. It's much more productive that you delegate and then, let go. COMMUNICATE PARAMETERS. If you're working with other people and counting on them to pull their load, make sure you clearly communicate what you need and when... then leave the "how" up to the people implementing. That doesn't mean they have carte blanche -- it means they can use their creativity and expertise toward common goals. KEEP ON COMMUNICATING. Build in milestones and checkpoints where you will be advised of the status. If possible, face to face updates are great. They can be formal or informal, depending on the complexity of the project and what you delegated. These milestone touch-points will assure your comfort level that the task assigned is on track. Trusting someone doesn't mean that you relieve yourself from responsibility. Quite to the contrary. You're still responsible, so staying connected makes sense. Be connected, not crushing. SUPPORT FROM AFAR. Once you've delegated, let the person know that you're accessible and then, make sure you're available when they need you. Support may come in various forms such as providing training, assuring adequate funding, and being available to provide guidance, approval and decisions. Assuming a hands-off approach doesn't mean abdicating your role as the lead; it means giving enough space for others to do their jobs without being suffocated. The space communicates trust. Being accessible communicates support. If you want harmonious relationships, trusting -- and communicating that trust -- is essential. Assign the task, then let them go to work and do what they do best. If they "beep" and need your help, check on them and give them the support they need to get them going in the right direction. I'll remember these lessons every time I speak to a client on the subject of delegation ... and every time I use my Roomba. I hope these tips (including the one about the Roomba) help you too. Until next time, here's to ... Better communication, Better business, Better life! Marion Grobb Finkelstein Keynote Speaker / Corporate Trainer / Author www.MarionSpeaks.com Marion@MarionSpeaks.com www.facebook.com/MarionSpeaks © 2011 Marion Grobb Finkelstein WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR EZINE OR WEB SITE? You can, as long as you include this complete tagline with it: Communications expert, author, professional speaker Marion Grobb Finkelstein teaches individuals and organizations across Canada and beyond, how to improve their businesses and their lives by improving their communications. Chat with her Facebook www.facebook.com/MarionSpeaks or sign up for her FREE weekly e-newsletter "Marion's Communication Tips" at www.MarionSpeaks.com