Three Simple Rules for Effective Delegation
There are three unbreakable rules when it comes to delegating work effectively: don’t delegate a task you don’t know how to do yourself; don’t delegate to someone who doesn’t have the ability or the time to do the task; give credit where credit is due. Stick to these three policies, and you and the team you lead will avoid stress, meet targets and deadlines and keep on kicking goals.
Don’t delegate a task you don’t know how to do yourself
The point of delegation is not to get rid of an unpalatable job, or an assignment that is outside the range of your own ability. Its purpose is to allocate responsibility for a particular duty or task to someone else, not because you couldn’t do it yourself but because it is not an effective use of your time. You are presumably leading a team because you are a multi-skilled and talented individual with the ability to manage other people effectively. While other members of your team are carrying out a routine tasks, you can get on with the job of coordinating your department’s activities, handling any unexpected challenges and shaping a path for the future by developing new processes to increase efficiency. However, if you delegate a job beyond your own capacity to perform you will not be able to handle your subordinates’ questions or give advice, and your incompetence will be difficult to hide. This situation can breed discontent in the workforce and lead to a perception that management is lazy and ineffective You may also be unable to tell whether the assignment has been completed properly or not. Undertake training to learn any new tasks, and delegate them only when you understand them fully yourself.
Don’t delegate to someone incompetent or already overstretched
Once again it is important to consider the purpose of delegation: getting the job done by the person best fitted to do it, making the most efficient use of the human resources available. Delegating a task to someone who doesn’t properly understand how to do it, or who is simply incapable, will only ensure that the deadline is not met or that the job is returned to you amid chaos and confusion. A similar result will follow if you delegate more tasks to a member of your team who is already burdened with more than enough work to fill every minute of their time. The maxim ‘If you want something done, ask a busy person’ only holds true within reasonable limits. Overburdening a member of your team through ill-considered delegation will only reduce their overall efficiency, as well as generating resentment. Look instead for someone currently under-utilized, who either has time on their hands or who needs greater challenges. Arrange for them to have any training necessary, and then reap the rewards when you are able to give them demanding assignments which they are able to complete on time, and with a feeling of personal achievement. Most employees will take pleasure in a job well done, especially if they feel that they are advancing their career as a result.
Give credit where credit is due
When you are a senior manager, everyone understands that the buck stops with you as far as the performance of your team is concerned. If regular duties are performed efficiently and special projects are successfully completed on time, it is only natural to accept the praise that comes your way. However, if your staff have willingly worked overtime to achieve those results, or if a particular individual made an outstanding effort to complete a delegated task, make sure that their contribution is recognized, not just by you but by your superiors as well. Paying tribute to your staff in this way can only enhance your own status, and will never damage it. Saying ‘Actually, my assistant, Joe, worked really hard on this, and I couldn’t have done it without him’ makes you look more professional rather than the opposite: it says you are a good manager who knows how to delegate effectively, and whose staff are prepared to go the extra mile for their team leader. Make sure you report back to your staff the fact that their role in the task you delegated to them was appreciated by your own supervisor. Knowing that they were given credit will make them even more willing to work hard next time you delegate a special project.
These three golden rules of delegation can be stated more briefly as: delegate from knowledge and ability, delegate to capability and capacity, delegate with gratitude and recognition. Delegation, if done properly, frees up your time to be a more effective and dynamic manager.
