By Felix C. Veroya
Do you want to be delegated with tasks or projects outside your day in, day out function as a team member or want to delegate as a leader? I think, most of us will say “No.”. Delegation is like a game that no one wants to play. But did you know that delegation is one of the important skills of an effective leader?
Delegation refers to the transfer of responsibility for specific tasks from one person to another. According to a Gallup study, CEOs who excel in delegating generate 33% higher revenue. These executives know that they cannot accomplish everything alone and position their team to tackle tasks they are confident they will achieve – in turn empowering employees, boosting morale and increasing productivity.
Delegation is a vital management skill. But for some, it’s the hardest to put into practice.
Why do leaders shy away from delegating work?
- Think it would take longer to explain the task than completing it themselves
- Want to feel indispensable to their team by being the keeper of specific knowledge
- Enjoy completing certain projects so prefer not to reassign them
- Feel guilty about adding more work onto another employee’s to-do list
- Lack confidence or trust in who they need to transfer the project to
- Believe that they’re the only ones who can do the job right
It’s important to continue honing the skill, as refusing to delegate can have negative consequences.
When I tested antigen positive for COVID-19, I must still manage our business as much as I want but my condition that time will not allow me to. So, I delegated important work items to my team. We were practicing delegation and other related practices before this happened which made our team prepared and sustained even, I am not around as the leader of the organization.
I want to share these 10 best practices for delegation in leadership for those leaders who want to start delegating but is having a hard time to do so.
1. Start small
Do: Start by delegating the small tasks first before handing off the bigger projects. You’ll be able to monitor your coworkers’ progress and get a feel for how the new workload affects them. This may even turn into an opportunity for promotion.
Don’t: Hand off your biggest project to someone who has never dealt with a task of that magnitude before.
2. Define how you measure success for your tasks / projects
Do: Meet as a team to discuss how you plan to evaluate the performance of your employees and make plans for measuring success. Individuals work more efficiently when they have clear expectations. If you tell them ahead of time that you’ll be asking for weekly updates, they’ll have the freedom to decide how to spend their time.
Don’t: Give your team members work without setting a deadline or goal for completion.
3. Create a priority system for tasks
Do: Consider how you might create a priority system for everyone to follow so they know what to work on first. Some work projects are time-sensitive and take priority over other tasks.
Don’t: Give someone an important task and avoid telling them when it’s due.
4. Delegate based on skill
Do: Take some time to think about which members of your team would do the job well and in a timely manner. Individuals have different skill sets that help them excel in their individual roles. Based on your assessment, approach people who possess the right skills for the job.
Don’t: Give tasks to employees just because they have the least amount of work to do.
5. Provide clear instructions
Do: Give clear instructions on how to perform tasks in the beginning. Tasks that seem obvious will likely not be obvious to your colleagues.
Don’t: Expect someone to know how to do something without giving them the details.
6. Take time to teach
Do: Expect to spend time teaching your employees how to perform the given tasks. They’ll likely have many questions at first and need additional guidance from you. Think of this time as an educational investment in the organization’s future and in the member’s career skills.
Don’t: Neglect to provide support when needed.
7. Show trust
Do: Allow your team to complete the work without hovering over their desks. Successful leaders know employees prefer to complete work on their own terms, but don’t mind an occasional check-in to verify progress.
Don’t: Be the micromanager in the office. Strong leaders trust their employees to work largely unsupervised.
8. Encourage feedback
Do: Let your members know you encourage feedback. Be clear that you mean to give feedback, as well as receive it. Offer praise when appropriate and additional guidance to help them if they fail to meet deadlines.
Don’t: Neglect your members and discourage open communication.
9. Balance the delegation
Do: Think of ways to create a balanced approach when delegating your work. This allows everyone to assume a variety of tasks that keep them motivated and focused. Some tasks may be monotonous and boring. Others may provide an interesting challenge and an opportunity to refine an individual’s skills.
Don’t: Keep giving the same person the same tasks.
10. Explain why it matters
Do: Take time to sit with your team and explain how their roles help the organization achieve success. They may not fully understand why they are being asked to take on more work but will be more open to change once they’ve been told.
Don’t: Expect people to be eager for more work if they don’t understand why they’re getting it.
Hope these tips can help you jump-start your initiative to be a leader who knows to delegate. Knowing yourself & your team members make it easier to share strengths while managing the downsides to achieve the set goals.
Let’s continue to be #significantlybetter, together.
For questions, concerns, advice and speaking engagements, please send an email to fcveroya@asklexph.com or visit asklexph.com/courses for free e-learning courses for professional development.