Whether it is in a business, organization, or even a local event it can be difficult for some individuals to let go of control while accomplishing tasks. The art of delegating work takes time and effort to master. Individuals struggle with delegation for various reasons but there are a few important steps that can make this process easier to tackle.
First, understand your team. When you truly understand a team you know their individual strengths and weaknesses. Tackling this step first allows the task to be delegated quicker and with more confidence when it is presented. According to Jayson DeMers, Founder and CEO of AudienceBloom, “You should know each individual’s strengths and weaknesses, including his or her current, and potential range of skills. When delegating, taking a look at your team and assign tasks to whoever has the greatest number of relevant skills for that task” He continued later in the article “It is also important to be consistent. Delegating the same type of tasks to the same individual will eventually increase that individual’s aptitude for those tasks.” Knowing your team and giving them similar tasks will ensure a smoother operation.
Second, provide proper resources and training. You cannot simply expect a team to know how to accomplish the task without giving them proper instruction. According to Genevieve Conti, “Make sure that when you delegate a task, the person has the tools and skills they need to complete the task, or provide a way for them to work on those skills. For example, if you ask someone to use a specific tool they’ve never used before to complete a task, make sure there’s a plan for them to become familiar with the tool first.” Once the instruction is provided to the employee it is on them to accomplish the task.
Third, trust and verify. It is important to trust individuals to accomplish tasks but it is also essential to verify that they are done correctly. This is even more essential when the work delegated to other team members ultimately falls under the name and recognition of the leader.
Although it is not always easy to delegate tasks to other team members, it makes a business or organizations run much smoother and accomplish more. The process of delegation will take some time to figure out but it ultimately can be a major time saver!
References:
Conti, G. (2017, July 11). A Guide to Delegating Tasks Effectively (and Why You Should). Retrieved from https://www.meistertask.com/blog/delegate-tasks-effectively/#
DeMers, J. (2015, May 07). 7 Strategies for Delegating Better and Getting More Done. Retrieved from https://www.inc.com/jayson-demers/7-strategies-to-delegate-better-and-get-more-done.html