Not all tasks can be delegated, but leveraging the strengths and objectives of your employees, providing the right resources and level of authority, and understanding the importance of the work and its implications are all key to successful delegation. Before you start delegating work, it is essential to evaluate the importance of the work and the implications of delegating it. Connecting the work with the objectives of the team and the company is a great way to clarify priorities. To ensure everyone has direct visibility of who is doing what, when and why, it is recommended to put all of your team's work into a shared information source, such as a project management tool.
Delegation consists of entrusting tasks or responsibilities to others, usually team members. Managers can reassign work to other team members because it's more relevant to that person's current interests, skills, or workflows. Or, a manager may need to distribute responsibilities evenly among the team, providing opportunities to undertake special projects and participate in tasks outside of the typical day-to-day. By taking a step back and allowing other people who are better equipped to manage certain areas to shoulder some of the burden, you are making your life easier and improving the performance of your company. Knowing when to delegate to other members of your team is a great way to become a better leader and build trust in your team.
If this is the first time you're delegating this type of work, it is recommended to implement a review cycle or follow-up period to review the work done and move it in the right direction if necessary. Before adding another task to someone or asking them to drastically change their priorities, consider their bandwidth or talk to their manager. Depending on the tasks delegated by a manager, you may be able to incorporate them into professional development plans and allow for professional growth. Effective delegation of work provides other team members with the opportunity to develop new skills and participate in important projects. Developing your delegation skills consists of understanding the desired results of a given initiative and assigning the work to the different members of the team based on their diverse skills. Through the delegation process, you collaborate, experience reciprocity and build good working relationships.
But in general, ask yourself a few questions to determine if it's beneficial to delegate this work. Depending on the type of tasks you delegate, delegation can help you develop new skills for the team and monitor progress toward professional development plans. Knowing when to delegate responsibility to other team members is a great way to become a more effective leader. Remind yourself what professional goals you are achieving by knowing how to delegate more and let go of your previous work. Always discuss how delegated work aligns with the potential for promotions or increases to ensure a clear understanding of how the work will help them grow. This requires adjustment and time to get used to, but all business leaders must get used to trusting their employees to do their jobs.
