Delegation is an invaluable leadership skill that can lighten your workload while strengthening the team. However, effective delegation requires clear communication and consistent two-way feedback in order to succeed.
To ensure that your team is ready to accept new assignments, provide training and support throughout the process. This may involve sharing resources or organizing one-on-one meetings.
1. Focus on the Big Picture
Managers who can effectively delegate tasks to their team will create a higher-performing and more efficient organization, freeing them up for high-impact activities like managing people and leading the organization.
One key element of successful delegation is making sure the person you assign a task has access to all necessary tools, training and resources needed to successfully complete it. Furthermore, establishing a communication and feedback process so you can easily track their work will also be key.
Be mindful that not every delegation experience will be successful; view them instead as opportunities for growth for both yourself and the person receiving a task from you. Doing so allows both of you to identify which aspects contributed to a positive result as well as potential areas for improvement.
2. Delegate Small Tasks
Participating in your team work gives team members a sense of ownership, increasing job satisfaction. Furthermore, this encourages them to develop their own ideas about improving processes within your company and develop their own ideas about improving them as a result.
Before delegating tasks, take the time to assess whether they require your specific skills, knowledge or authority for completion. If so, you may need to manage them yourself so they are being completed according to your standards and in a timely fashion – perhaps by setting review cycles or meeting with team members regularly to discuss the project and provide guidance. However, try not to get trapped into micromanaging; check-in regularly with your team members so as not to overwhelm them while at the same time allow them to develop independently through experience-driven learning.
3. Give Feedback
Delegating can seem effortless when executed successfully, yet effectively passing off responsibility requires time, coordination, and trust from all involved.
Make sure the tasks you delegate can be measured and tracked using shared sources of truth, like project management tools. That way, you will have an accurate picture of who is doing what when.
If an employee isn’t performing as expected, make sure they receive feedback promptly. This can build their confidence and encourage them to try something different next time. It is also important to remind them that you are open to hearing their side of the story if an issue remains persistent.
4. Be Flexible
Delegating can be an arduous task for both leaders and team members alike, requiring leaders to give their subordinates freedom and trust when performing tasks, yet remain flexible should there be issues or unexpected results.
Before assigning any task, it’s essential that managers carefully consider the capabilities, development needs and motivators of team members receiving it. A good manager will take these factors into account when choosing appropriate opportunities for each member.
Not every task can be delegated, especially those that require specific expertise or are time-intensive. But regular activities that can be divided up into manageable chunks could present an ideal opportunity for delegation. Be prepared to provide oversight during this process so as to maintain accountability and support while simultaneously building your delegation skills and strengthening your team.
5. Be Specific
Delegation is an essential leadership skill that takes practice to master. Begin by identifying tasks you could delegate to other members of your team – for instance, time-consuming or complex ones could make an ideal candidate for delegation.
Delegating operational responsibilities allows managers to focus on strategic initiatives that drive forward the organization. When delegating, it is key that clear expectations are set about what each team member must accomplish, along with honest feedback about their performance, even if negative. Doing this helps team members develop new skills and become more successful overall while simultaneously relieving stress from all involved.
