1. Why delegate
Delegating tasks frees up your time for more important things and it gives you a happier and more competent staff.
The most powerful argument for delegation is that your company will not advance without it. If you make yourself indispensable, or if the whole organisation would crumble in the event of an accident to you, there is no point in trying to plan the company’s future. Your managerial staff will also not further their careers unless they delegate well.
Delegation is not the same as assigning work to the people who report to you. Rather it’s redistributing your own work and devolving part of the responsibility for that work onto the shoulders of a staff member. You don’t do it to reward and you don’t do it in order to ditch tedious tasks. You do it for two reasons only: to free up your own time and to develop the skills and competencies of your staff.
Think of it in terms of your own families and children. If you never give children responsibilities, they are never going to grow into adults and you will always be looking after them. It is the same with your staff. If you never give your staff responsibilities, challenges, development and growth, then you will always be needed to be there all the time. You will never be free.
2. Making the leap
There are always compelling reasons not to delegate. You think you would do it far quicker and better yourself, or perhaps you do not trust anyone else to do it right. These are short term views. If you take the time to teach someone how to do the task and provide sufficient support through the initial stages, the long‑term benefits will far outweigh the short‑term negatives. You will have a motivated, empowered staff and sufficient competence underneath you to facilitate your own mobility and freedom.
3. How and who to delegate to
Successful delegation involves matching the right person with the right job. Either pick someone whose skills provide the closest match to the task or pick the person who has the most to learn from taking it on. Make it clear at the start how much initiative the team member is getting. Is it necessary that the task be done in exactly the same way as you did it or is there space for innovation? Try to be results rather than process oriented, if it is appropriate. Also ensure that the delegate has all the information necessary to complete the task in the best way possible. Let him or her know where it fits into the overall business process so that they can see their increased responsibility in an overall context.
4. Control by proxy
The fear of losing control is another deterrent to delegation. But by taking the time to take staff through your methodology and the means by which you judge you own work you will be exercising control by proxy. While you should always let the entire task go, it is up to you to choose the appropriate level of authority that will be delegated. Too much may jeopardise business objectives, too little inhibits development potential. Formalise the process at the start. Set out how often you will meet team members to discuss their progress. You do not want them running to you with every minor question, nor do you want then blundering aimlessly through the job.
5. Responsibilities
Through your dialogue, try to confer the authority of decision making onto your staff shoulders. If they run into problems, get them to suggest solutions. If they are wrong, tell them why. If failure happens analyse the causes honestly but dispassionately. Remember that you have delegated your job and that you are ultimately responsible for the outcome.
There are, however, some things you can not delegate. HR tasks such as performance appraisal and salary review are inextricably bound up with management authority and do not devolve easily. Wherever you choose to draw the line, if you do not choose to delegate now, chances are you will be doing the same things for a long time.
.
Related Article : 10 Tips to Build a Good Management Team
Please call Noel Murphy today on 083 015 3313 if you need further information on effective delegation or a consultation.