Without the ability to delegate effectively, it is impossible for you to advance in management to higher positions of responsibility.
Learning how to delegate is not only about maximizing your own productivity and value; it is also about maximizing the productivity of your staff. The average person today is working at 50 percent of capacity. Free Report: Discovering Your Talents! Your job as a manager is to develop people.
Delegation is the means by which you bring out the very best in the people that you have. The first step in learning how to delegate is to think through the job. Decide exactly what is to be done. What result do you want? The second step in delegation is to set performance standards.
How will you measure to determine whether the job has been done properly or not? The third step is to determine a schedule and a deadline for getting the job done. The task-relevant maturity of your staff—how long they have been on the job and how competent they are—determines your method of delegation.
Low task-relevant maturity means they are new and inexperienced in the job. In this case, use a directive delegation style. Tell people exactly what you want them to do. Medium task-relevant maturity means staff has experience in the job; they know what they are doing. In this case, use the effective, management by objectives delegation method. Tell people the end result that you want and then get out of their way and let them do it. High task-relevant maturity is when the staff person is completely experienced and competent.
Your method of delegation in this case is simply, easy interaction. Pick the right person. Picking the wrong person for a key task is a major reason for failure. Match the requirements of the job to the abilities of the person. Define the authority level. How much power will they need? What kinds of power? Who else needs to know that this person has the authority to act? Be sure to inform them to assure cooperation with the employee. Agree about the control process. What kinds of controls are needed?
How can one feel in control and still empower employees to act independently? Monitor progress. Pay attention and maintain control of the situation. Managers are still responsible for the success or failure of this person and for achieving the desired results. Provide feedback. Stay in touch, giving plenty of positive reinforcement and coaching when needed. Identify the lessons learned.
What did the employee learn? What did you learn? Often, the person with the new responsibility will figure out better ways to get things done and such improvements need to be identified, documented and shared. Evaluate performance. Give the person helpful feedback. What did they do well?
Where can they improve? How can the results be improved? How can the manager do a better job of helping them succeed? Communicating Delegation. Meet face to face without time pressure. This is very important communication, and face-to-face interaction is the approach most likely to convey the message that this discussion is important.
Make arrangements so that you are not interrupted. Explain why the person was selected for the assignment and what results need to be achieved. Remember, you are assigning responsibility for producing outcomes—not just performing tasks. Encourage the other to ask questions. It helps leaders manage their workload and maximize productivity while also helping employees build skills. When done effectively, delegation can be used for professional development and as a tool to identify top performers.
While the benefits of delegation may be clear, actually delegating is not always an easy thing to do. The good news is that like all other skills, it can be learned, honed, and developed until it becomes second nature.
Sometimes the biggest challenge is letting go of some control. Delegate small, low risk tasks first, then work your way up to something bigger. Eventually, delegation will become less stressful and more routine.
This is crucial when you have a precise outcome or methodology in mind. Once clarity is established, confirm their interpretation face-to-face, or at least voice-to-voice, to avoid email misinterpretations.
Engage at the right level. You should maintain engagement levels sufficient for you to deliver the agreed-upon mix of support and accountability. However, there are risks when the mix is not right: Too involved, and you could consciously or inadvertently micromanage those around you; too hands-off, and you could miss the critical moments where a supportive comment or vital piece of feedback would be essential.
To pick your spot, simply ask people what the right level is based on their style. This not only clarifies the frequency of touchpoints they will find useful but also gives them autonomy in how the delegated work will move forward.
For those requests that draw on this talent, you say yes and carve out the time and attention to be intimately involved. This discerning approach may mean delegating some tasks to others, negotiating a reduction in your direct contribution, or just saying no while making the business case for why your effort and attention will have a greater impact elsewhere.
To illustrate these strategies in action, consider Anika. The word no was not in her vocabulary, and as a result she involved herself in every team priority. As demand continued to rise, Anika could no longer remain credibly engaged in everything.
But since she staked out her territory in the middle, various initiatives began to stagnate. As members of her team stood idly by waiting for some of her precious time to consult on, review, or approve various items, their frustration grew. Anika found herself on the edge of burnout, while confronting a potential loss of credibility with her team.
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