The term delegation means to entrust someone else with the duty of doing something, such as a task or a project. Delegating typical time-consuming chores to junior workers or contractors is a popular practice among successful entrepreneurs, business owners, and managers because it allows them to focus on more important duties that require their whole attention.
Great managers delegate tasks since doing so free up time for them to focus on tasks that only they can handle or that they excel at. Delegation isn’t just for lightening your burden; it also helps to boost the passion and skills of people you’ve delegated to.
As leaders, it is essential to help our subordinates grow and one of the ways to do this is to delegate duties. Great leaders know that their staffs are the most precious resource in their firm, and they can elicit excellent performance from them in part through sharing tasks.
Importance of Task Delegation
One of the most crucial and practical management skills is outsourcing. You won’t be able to grow in management to higher positions of responsibility unless you can properly delegate. You free up time to focus on relatively high operations by delegating certain responsibilities to associates, while also keeping them motivated with increased independence.
Delegating success leads to an increase in revenue for businesses. These managers recognize that they cannot accomplish everything on their own, so they assign projects to their team members that they are confident they can compete, and by so doing empowering staff, boosting morale, and increasing productivity. Managers free up time to focus on activities that will generate the best returns and help the firm expand as a result of this process.
Considerations for delegation of duty
Beyond merely delegating work to someone else, the delegation has many distinct aspects. Here’s a step-by-step guide to the most crucial things to think about before delegating.
Determine when and what task to delegate
Determine which tasks should be outsourced by assessing what has been on your to-do list for a long time, what has been frustrating or boring, and what you are doing that is of lower priority or maybe done efficiently by someone with a lower pay scale.
Delegation can be found on a continuum. When you tell other people what to do, you are delegating at its most basic level. It provides employees with few opportunities to try new approaches. When you can hand over most of your authority over a project to an employee, this is the most empowering form of delegation.
Decide who you want to delegate the task to
Consider who would be the ideal person for this job by asking questions like is there someone who could do it even better and faster than you? Who already has the necessary skill set? Who has the aptitude to learn the abilities required to finish the assignment if no one exists? Have you established that the individual you chose is capable, trustworthy, and reliable?. Ensure they have enough time to complete the task.
Evaluate the level of enthusiasm
Highly motivated personnel are usually ecstatic to be chosen for a task, and they will feel empowered by your request. If they aren’t interested or only show a tepid curiosity, it could be a sign of a greater problem with their workload, ability, or what makes them happy. Ascertain that they are devoted to and enthusiastic about the project.
Outline the task in details
Start with the outcome in mind and clearly state what you want to achieve. When clarifying task specifics, keep the result in mind rather than the how-to component. It’s generally beneficial to make general suggestions and provide proper training, but make it obvious that they’re in control of how they arrive at the expected goal. When people are unsure about what they want to achieve, they are more likely to underperform instead of risk making a mistake.
Establish the degree of accountability, power, and duty
Specify the degree of accountability, responsibility, and duty you’re entrusting them with. These levels should be clearly defined at the start of the procedure. What are the reasons they should seek your approval and feedback? This will differ from one person to the next and from one work to the next. Inquire about their level of satisfaction with the responsibility, authority, and resourcing.
Set deadlines and a completion date
Agree on a deadline for completing the assignment and when certain portions of the task should be completed. To avoid misinterpretation or confusion, consider having something in written form. Make sure you both understand what completion looks like and that you’re on the same page about the timelines. Make sure to talk about how much time you should devote to the task each day or week. Consider how the time spent on this new task will affect their other responsibilities.
Display confidence
Make it clear to staff that you trust them and their capacity to complete this assignment. People usually live up to or fall short of the standards we set for them. Expressing your positive expectations of your employees is one of the most potent methods to instill confidence in them. While simple and brief, comments like “I know that with determination and smart work you will be able to achieve this,” can be encouraging to the individual hearing them.
Keep track of your progress and provide feedback
Set up a system for obtaining updates regularly. This aids in the employee’s accountability. Maintain a close enough proximity to be available for queries and to ensure that everything runs smoothly, but not so near that you become the decision-maker. Avoid micromanaging the tasks, as this will weaken the authority you’ve delegated.
Give commendation
Don’t take credit for yourself, no matter what you do. Give lots of praise when the task is accomplished. Giving recognition for a job well done fosters loyalty and a willingness to take on new challenges. Give acknowledgment for a job well done whenever possible.
Re-evaluate
Pay close attention to details and learn from your errors once you’ve delegated work and it’s been accomplished. Also, change the way you think about things and make adjustments as needed. Take into consideration whether someone is ready for a more big assignment once they have completed one.
Delegation necessitates identifying the appropriate tasks to assign to the appropriate individuals, as well as providing them with the necessary resources and power to perform the assignment. Effective delegation saves time, enhances capacity, and allows staff to grow and be motivated.