How often do you get stressed out thinking “Oh gosh this is too much work to handle”? Or else, how often do you feel like giving up because you feel you don’t get enough support from your team?
Do you know that delegating work effectively is a skill, and the reason behind all these problems may be that you are not delegating work effectively? If you understand this and delegate work in an organized manner without waiting until the last moment to do so, you will be able to maximize your productivity and keep yourself sane despite tight deadlines or heavy workloads. Do you feel ready to try delegating appropriate work at appropriate times? Let us give you some tips to start.
When delegating work to a subordinate, a peer or anyone, you should pick the right person. When you have delegated some work so that you could focus on something more important, you do not expect to be disturbed with numerous requests for guidance and advises on the delegated work, do you? Therefore, it is a best practice to ensure that the person is capable of understanding the requirement and possesses adequate competence and skills to perform the tasks that are expected of him/her. Simply put, can a heart surgeon delegate a surgery to a nurse? Picking the right person for the job is critical when delegating. Equally important, you must make sure you brief the person well enough to be able to handle the job independently and effectively. That’s not all.
Delegation without authority and/or empowerment will not produce expected results. Let us think of a simple example. If you are the owner of a company and you are going abroad for two weeks, you will need someone to cover for you in your absence. Let’s imagine a situation where you are supposed to enter into an agreement with another party, which needs to be done within the same two-week window. If you expect your deputy to sign it on behalf of you, he/she should be briefed on the requirement and the business objectives of the said agreement. Moreover, he/she should have the legal capacity to act as your proxy, without which, the signed agreement would be null and void. Therefore, always be mindful of what you delegate, to whom you delegate and how would you expect that person to perform the delegated task. Remember that while you must delegate the authority to carry out a task, the responsibility for that task remains with you – all the more reason to ensure you have delegated effectively and with clear communication. Pay attention to the following when delegating:
- You must have a good understanding on the job that needs to be delegated and you should be prepared to delegate.
- You should know the person to whom you are going to delegate.
- You should consider whether that person is adequately equipped with the required resources to carry out the delegated task(s).
- Have you discussed with your employees the importance of the delegated work? Do they understand its importance?
- Do they understand “what the delegated task is” and “why it is required”?
- Can each individual continue performing the delegated task?
- Is there two-way communication when something is delegated?
- Do you have a mechanism to measure the effectiveness / efficiency of delegation and its impact on performance?
- Do you have a mechanism to monitor how the delegated work is carried out?
Successful delegation takes preparation, trust and clear communication. You will get better at delegation the more you do it; so don’t be afraid to start, preferably with low-risk tasks and some safeguards the first few times you delegate. It is as important to review what went well and what did not work, when a delegated task is completed.
Done well, delegation will be a “force-multiplier” for you and your team, letting individuals get more things done well, at any one time.