Leaders constantly face demands on their time, and discerning what to do, how to do it and when can be a challenge. Delegation provides:
An effective means for managing time wisely and
An effective way to develop others.
Leaders make more leaders, and are also good at killing two birds with one stone.
So how to delegate?
Delegation Steps and Levels:
What needs to be delegated? All your responsibilities should be put in to one of three buckets: 1. Don’t do it- get rid of the task or responsibility 2. Do it yourself. 3. Delegate it. Take time to catalogue all your responsibilities/tasks based on these three categories.
Pick the right person– Are they competent or can they be trained to do the task/job? Do they need opportunities to develop in certain areas?
Establish open channels of communication– Ensure that people feel comfortable coming to you with questions when a task or result is delegated to them. Remind them you are always available to answer their questions and act as a sounding board for making decisions related to their responsibilities. Schedule regular feedback sessions if necessary to encourage dialogue.
Delegate part of the task or activity (gradual delegation). Make sure to communicate the results you want achieved and by when.You may need to give direction of how to perform the task at first or provide training for completing the task/activity effectively.
Delegate the whole task. Make sure to communicate the results you want achieved and by when and leave the person 100% responsible.
Delegate the result(s) you want achieved. Instead of telling them what to do and how to do it (ie- delegating the task or activity) tell them what you want to be achieved and by when and get out of their way.
Delegate authority and responsibility. Put the person in charge and leave it to them to make decisions about what gets done, how and when, leaving them responsible for establishing priorities and results. All you will need to do is establish parameters (such as budget constraints).
Leave the person alone.
More thoughts on Delegation:
2 Tips if you have Bored Employees
