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Continue to Move Forward Even When
Problems Arise

Poet and author Maya Angelou once said, “There are no mistakes, only lessons.” If you’re going to be successful at delegating, you must have this attitude. It is not an option; it is mandatory.

No one, and no situation, is perfect. And in fact, imperfection can lead to some amazing discoveries. Think of penicillin, for example. Obstacles and failures can open doors that no one ever thought possible.

When problems arise regarding delegated work, think of them as lessons or opportunities. It could be a lesson that provides insight into an employee’s approach to interacting with others, or a lesson to you that you need to communicate more clearly and specifically.

Or the problem could be an opportunity. In multinational manufacturing organizations, when a problem arises in one plant, it can be the result of a flawed process. And it is likely that process is followed in all other plants around the world. Detecting it in one can save the company millions of dollars in lost product—or even better, workers’ or consumers’ lives.

If you help your employees see the lesson or opportunity in the problem, and guide them in overcoming it, they will have greater confidence in their ability to recover from setbacks and move forward.