Delegation is an Art
If I do it myself, it’ll be easier/ faste r/better…”
Do you recognize yourself in these words? I think, yes. A lot of people think in absolutely the same direction.
Delegating work is a huge responsibility. And it’s not something that only leaders need to be able to do well. Anyone who works in a team will probably need to ask a colleague to take on a task at some point. A colleague might need to cover for you while you are on holiday or to stand
in for you at a meeting. If you job-share, you will definitely need to delegate tasks.
Whatever the situation, it’s important to create the best conditions for someone else to carry out a task successfully. And today we are looking at 7 techniques you will need to delegate with clarity and style.
1. Giving reasons
Do your best to explain to the other person why you are delegating a task. For example, do you need someone to cover for you temporarily? Or are you delegating something in its entirety? Whatever the case, use language that is appropriate to your position in the organization. A manager
can talk about wanting someone to take on more responsibility, but a job-sharer will probably need to give more practical reasons for assigning a task.
2. Checking the timing
It’s important to check whether your colleagues or team members have the capacity to take on more work. A manager can also suggest freeing up time for a task if it has priority. Be prepared to negotiate on the timing.
3. Assigning tasks
Which tasks should you assign to others?
Which ones should you keep for yourself?
Instinctively, you may want to get rid of the things that you hate, but that might be counterproductive in the long run. Your colleagues will soon recognize your approach and may resent you for it. And when you really need them to cover for you, they may not be as accommodating as you’d like.
4. Stating the outcome
To do everything to Make sure your colleagues understand exactly what is required of them to complete the task successfully. Ideally, you should have a good idea of what you expect the outcome to be — and be good at communicating it. Most tasks consist of multiple steps. By breaking down complex processes into clear stages, you
can help people understand exactly what it is they need to do. You might consider creating a checklist for them to ensure that nothing is forgotten. If you have been responsible for something for a long time, you may not realize the complexities involved in a task — until you sit down and break it down.
5. Providing a framework
Delegation can fail if your colleague believes they have more freedom than they do. Or less.
Your goal is not to micromanage someone, but to provide a framework for them to succeed. Pinpoint the areas that are most challenging and specify what kind of freedom they have, and what kind of support they can expect from you, and let them know when and why they can and should check in with you.
Try to discuss in advance typical problems which may arise and explain how you would deal with them, and why you would recommend such an approach.
6. Recognizing potential
Focus on the positives of the tasks and highlight exactly why you believe your colleague has the skills and expertise to complete them successfully.Help them to recognize their own potential and make the most of their abilities.
7. Showing appreciation
Praise someone when they do things well, to make the person who takes over feel that their work matters. And you can show your appreciation by simply saying thanks.
So delegation for both parts can be beneficial but for this you need to follow these simple 7 steps.
Good luck!
