11 Keys To Delegation Success
Yesterday, we learned what not to do when it comes to delegation (click HERE to read yesterday’s post). Today, we’ll learn how to delegate successfully. Here are eleven keys to doing delegation right:
11 Keys To Delegation Success
- Determine and define the task you want or need to delegate. Go through the list of things you would like to accomplish. Make a list of which things you need to do and another list of things that others could do. Once you determine what things others could do for you, take time to define the task you want or need to delegate. This will help as you continue onto the next steps in delegation.
- Select qualified people to execute the task. Picking the right people to delegate a task to is critical to your success and their success. If you pick someone who is overqualified, he will likely become bored and disenfranchised. If you pick someone who is significantly under-qualified, he will likely become frustrated.
- Provide training if necessary. Part of the delegation process involves getting your team up to speed with the skills and knowledge they will need to complete your request. This takes planning on the part of the leader, but it will be worth it in making sure delegation is done correctly.
- Demonstrate confidence in your team. This may take some time, but it’s so important that your team knows you trust them. If you are looking over their shoulder all the time, they will begin to wonder if they can really perform the delegated task.
- Clarify the task, the reasons for the task, and the desired outcomes of the task. It’s essential to make sure your team members clearly understand what they are doing and why they are doing it. They also need to understand the expected outcome and the deadline for completing the task. If you don’t clarify these details, your team may flounder about for a while not realizing your expectations.
- Provide appropriate authority to your team. When you delegate a task to your team, they must understand they are now empowered to make decisions necessary to complete the task. If they keep coming back to you over and over again asking you to make decisions, they are wasting your time and their time.
- Resist the urge to tell your team how to execute the task. Part of delegation involves letting go of your desire to control every detail. Your team will learn more effectively by figuring it out themselves. Not only does this help with the present task at hand but it better prepares your team for the future.
- Provide appropriate supervision. Each of your team members most likely needs to be managed a little differently. Make sure you alter your supervision style to fit their follow through style.
- Provide opportunities for check points while the task is being executed. Regular check points will help your team know if they are on the right track towards completing the delegated task.
- Let your team fail. Your team will learn from their failures. It’s essential you let them fail occasionally as this helps them learn for the future. This may be an inconvenience to the leader who delegates in the short-term, but it will pay off over the long-term.
- Provide feedback when the delegated task is complete. When the task is complete, it’s important to tell your team how they did. If they did well, appropriate praise and gratitude will encourage continued diligence when you delegate to them in the future. If they did poorly, they need to know so they can make the necessary adjustments for the future.