3 Tips for Effective Delegation

Delegation is a necessary skill for leaders to have. If you’re feeling overworked, it can take a lot of stress off your plate. Additionally, it can increase team efficiency and establish a sense of responsibility within your workplace. While it can be hard to trust other people to take care of important tasks, it’s crucial that you take a first step toward relinquishing a small amount of control to better serve the future productivity of your business. Remember – you hired your team for a reason! If you’re struggling to figure out how to delegate effectively, here are some tips:

Delegate to the right team member.

Choosing the right person for a task is vital for efficient delegation. If you ever need to hire someone to work in accounting, for example, you’d look for someone with the appropriate skill set. The same mindset should apply toward internal delegation. You’ll need to pick a team member who has the right skills, disposition and space in their workload to take on the task in question. Keeping these parameters in mind will help your process.

Assign tasks where they best fit.

It can be difficult to figure out which tasks to assign to whom. A good first step is to log all your work projects for a week and then consider which ones don’t necessarily need your level of expertise. Administrative tasks like data entry services and filing are good choices to assign to someone lower on your company’s totem pole.

Communicate!

When you are asking someone to take on new and possibly more impactful responsibilities, it’s a good idea to open the conversation by expressing your confidence in their skills. Assign tasks wholly, instead of asking someone to take care of one piece of it. This will help them become more confident and independent. Provide an outline of the work that includes the following:
• A full description of the task at hand, specifying what is being asked of the employee.
• Who to reach out to if they come across any roadblocks.
• A timeline, including a deadline.
• A budget (if applicable).
• Scheduled check-in meetings to ensure the employee is getting proper support and to make sure the project is going as planned.

Remember to have patience with your staff, especially if delegation is new in your workplace’s environment. Some employees will have hiccups and make mistakes while trying to find their own rhythm. Others may excel from the very beginning. No matter the results, provide support, constructive feedback and positive recognition when it is due. Follow these tips and watch your team thrive!