Last updated 6 January 2023 ·
Effective delegation is an essential skill for any leader or manager. By delegating tasks to team members, you can lighten your workload and empower your team to take ownership of their responsibilities and develop new skills. When done effectively, delegation can lead to improved team morale, increased productivity, and better results for your organisation.
However, delegation can be challenging. It requires trust in your team and a willingness to let go of control. It also requires clear communication and effective follow-up to ensure that tasks are completed to the desired standard.
Delegating effectively is a meticulous process that requires extensive support from both sides. It’s a collection of different experts from different fields working together.
People tend to find it difficult to delegate, mainly because they ask themselves:
- Can I do this better than anyone else?
- Is it too tricky to delegate?
- Would it be quicker just to do it myself?
But actually, those are the same tasks that you should be delegating. The better question should be:
“Can I be doing something more value-added & productive with my time?”
And if the answer is YES to that question, then delegate.
Delegation allows you to make the best use of your time and skills, and it helps other team members grow and develop to reach their full potential in the organisation simultaneously. Win/Win!
So, how can you delegate effectively to achieve the best results?
Six tips for effective delegation
1. Understand you’re not good at everything!
Most leaders fear that no one else can perform the job as well as they can. So they end up burned out and overworked rather than have someone else handle the task. The first step in delegating is learning to let go. If someone else can do it, then as the business leader, you shouldn’t be doing it. Start small with smaller tasks and give up the complex ones as you get comfortable.
2. Identify your team members’ strengths
The best leaders know the subtleties of their teams. They know who’s good at what and where their interests lie. When delegating, look at your team and assign tasks to whoever has the greatest number of relevant skills or ambition for that task, then move from there.
3. Always be clear on what you need
The task may seem obvious to you but not to the person you’re delegating to. The best way to avoid disappointment is to communicate your desired results effectively. Then focus on results and not the process. Let the person use their initiative to perform the task. If you have a deadline that you need to be met, be clear on that. But let them handle the task to the best of their knowledge.
4. Don’t shy away from teaching new skills
You shouldn’t shy away from delegating simply because there’s no one in your team with the necessary skills to carry out the task. Don’t be afraid to teach as a part of the delegation process. Consider it an investment since you may need the same person to perform similar tasks in future.
5. Trust your teammates
It’s not a good idea to micromanage after delegating. You’re delegating to free your mind to FOCUS on other, more critical tasks. It beats the logic. However, don’t be afraid to check in on their progress while giving constructive criticism to ensure the best results. If they perform the work well, let them know by publicly thanking them and offering genuine praise.
6. Always verify the work and give feedback
This is especially so if it’s the first time you’re delegating the task. You want to ensure that you do not hand over substandard quality work and risk being seen as unprofessional. Always give feedback on the quality of work and what can be improved on in future. And the more you delegate, the easier it will get, and the higher the quality of work.
Structured planning to achieve effective delegation
By following these tips, you can effectively delegate tasks to your team members and achieve better results. Remember, effective delegation is an essential leadership skill that can improve team morale, increase productivity, and drive better results for your organisation.
The Reclaro 1-3-5® OKR software includes a highly effective delegation feature allowing leaders to assign detailed work to other employees in a transparent platform where they can communicate expectations, timings and progress. OKRs, objectives and key results rely on cascading top-level strategic priorities throughout all teams, with delegation being one of the key functionalities to ensure everyone works hard on the right things to move the business forward. To find out more about OKRs, visit our complete guide to OKRs here.
For further information, book a no-obligation discovery call today!
