Regardless of your position in a company, if you are leading a team in any way, as a department leader or even CEO of a company, delegation is one of the most important tools you have. Delegation is a skill, and learning to use it effectively can make your team more productive, reduce stress for all employees, and free up your time to manage your team better. Here are some ways that you can master the art of delegation:
Trust your team’s skills
The biggest barrier to effective delegation is the struggle of letting go of work. Dedication and self-belief in your own ability to get the work done to the best possible standard can stand in the way of being able to delegate it to someone else. There will be times when it’s better to do something yourself, but there should be a balance between what is relevant and necessary within your role, and what needs to be shared amongst your team. In these cases it’s important that you trust your team to be able to carry out these tasks.
Work to the strengths of your team members
Everyone in your team will have different areas of strengths and weaknesses, experience and skills, so part of delegating is identifying these for each person. You can then assign tasks according to these things, not simply delegating to the person who has the most time available, even if they are the least suited to getting it done.
Prioritise carefully
As you begin to delegate, you should group tasks into different skills, and different priorities. You can then communicate to your team the deadlines of each assignment and which are the more urgent tasks that need to be completed first. This helps to prevent any issues or delays in the tasks getting completed, and builds a culture of teamwork.
Give clear instructions
When delegating, don’t just give a task list. Instead, give clear instructions where appropriate, including milestones, deadlines, goals and anything else that is important to produce the best possible outcome. This gives your team a clear process to move forward and progress whilst giving you peace of mind that your team are suitably briefed.
Pass on your knowledge
As part of delegating, you can also choose to pass on your own knowledge. There may be things that your team are unsure of and need to ask for your advice and expertise, so part of this process is answering their queries and continuing to let them handle it instead of taking over yourself.
Find out more about effective delegating by attending our
“The Art of Delegation” one day workshop, or by giving PTP a call today on 01509 889 632.