Task Delegation Tips for Successful Managers and Leaders
Task delegation is critical to the efficient running of any business. As a business owner or manager, you must be willing to transfer responsibility to others if you must cover grounds within a limited time. You have to realize that you can’t do it all alone, no matter how versatile and energetic you are.
However, many business owners and managers are skeptical about delegating tasks because they’re unsure how well the third party will deliver. But all of those concerns can be checked by considering some tips for effective task delegation. And that’s what this article discusses.
Here are task delegation tips you can start practicing today in your workplace:
Know when and what to delegate
Just because you’re the business owner doesn’t exclude you from handling responsibilities. In fact, not every task should be delegated. There are things you have to do yourself, for example, performance reviews or any issue involving your personnel.
That said, several other everyday tasks don’t require your oversight. For example, while you may want to handle bookkeeping or email correspondence, it might be better to delegate it.
You should delegate a task when there’s someone better to do it and if there’s something more critical that demands your undivided attention. Delegating will also show that you trust and value your team.
Delegate to the right party
It wouldn’t make sense to delegate a financial-related task to an IT employee. To delegate effectively, you must play to your employee’s strengths.
The type of work you delegate should be related to the delegate’s fundamental responsibility or specialization. The delegatee could be your full-term employee, an intern, a virtual assistant, or a third-party service provider.
If no one on your team has the required skill-set, outsource the task externally. This brings us to the next tip…
Be clear on expectations
It wouldn’t make sense to just dump work on someone’s plate. That’s not a great way to delegate. That’s because they’re ignorant about your expectations, even though they’re skilled in the job! While you may aim for 60, they may reach far beyond, which may ruin your objective.
This is crucial when outsourcing external responsibilities, such as managed IT services. You must have a managed service agreement that spells out the job scope, specific services to be offered, and your expectations. No one likes surprises when it comes to business, and clarity on expectations prevents that.
Be ready to support
It’s best to assume that whoever you’re delegating a task to doesn’t have all they need. So it’s helpful to ask if the person needs anything else to complete the job. It could be a little training on what exactly needs to be done, some resources, or tools. Your duty as the leader is to provide what they need for effective execution.
However, you must be careful enough to avoid micromanaging each employee. Resist the urge to guide or monitor them all the way. Instead, let them have some space to be creative, even after giving them what they need to hit the ground running.
Communicate
Along the line, it’s helpful to reach out to know how far gone the project is to completion. This isn’t micromanaging; it’s more about checking up occasionally to see how things are going, rather than constant monitoring.
Having a good communication channel here is advisable, such as a mobile app.
You must be patient
As an executive, you’ll likely have more hands-on experience than your employee. So it would be best not to measure their performance by your standards. For example, if it usually takes you an hour to handle that task, it might take your employee twice that during their first time.
So when you start delegating, be patient with the delegatee until they get more familiar with the task.
Allow for failure during their first trials. Think back on when you first started, and you’ll be more inclined to take it easy with the delegatee.
Show appreciation
People are inclined to perform better when they’re appreciated. Unfortunately, most managers and entrepreneurs believe applauding an employee for their excellence will get to their head. But it’s not so.
Appreciating your team is not only right; it also makes them more valued and engaged, making you even more successful. In addition, the more you show appreciation to whomever you delegate work to, the more willing they are to help out again.
Task delegation is a process, not a dump-and-forget. Be clear on what to delegate, give clarity on your expectations, keep communication lines open, and be patient with whoever you delegate a task to. Finally, show a little appreciation when they deliver to boost engagement, trust, and morale.
