Delegation sounds easy, but most leaders find it is far from it. Handing over a task to someone isn’t quite as simple as it sounds. But learning to delegate responsibilities is an important aspect of leadership. It allows you to focus on more important tasks to continue growing and scaling and allows others to grow in their roles.
Here are steps you can take to improve your delegation to grow and scale your team:
1. Identify what tasks to delegate
The first step in delegation sounds obvious, but it’s important. You must take time to consider what tasks you can delegate. To do this, you’ll need to assess the task’s importance, complexity, and urgency.
Consider what tasks you do each day that you must complete and which ones can be handed off to others.
If you’re just starting out with delegating, remember to start small and work up to the larger tasks and projects.
2. Choose the right person for the task
Not everyone is best suited for every task or project. Consider your team’s skills, experience, and abilities to see who is ready to take on the task you’re delegating.
You may also find it helpful to consider the willingness, eagerness, and mindset of the individuals on your team. You may discover the best person to delegate a task to doesn’t have previous experience with it but is the one looking to grow and expand in their role.
3. Clearly communicate the task and expectations
Turning over a task to someone else doesn’t simply mean giving them a to-do list. You must communicate the details and expectations that go along with it. Your employee will need a clear explanation of the task and what result you want them to achieve. It’s also essential to ensure they understand the deadlines and any checkpoints or milestones they must meet along the way.
4. Provide necessary resources and support
This is an area where we see many leaders struggle with delegation—providing the necessary resources to complete the job. You can’t simply tell your employee what to do. You must ensure they have what they need to accomplish the task successfully.
This can include providing access to necessary information, tools, and resources. It’s also crucial to offer guidance and support throughout the process if they need it.
5. Monitor progress
Delegating a task is not like starting a crock pot. You don’t fix it and forget it.
Instead, as the leader, you need to monitor the progress of the task to ensure it’s on track and adjustments are being made as necessary. But this doesn’t mean micro-managing the task.
Be available to your employees if they need help, have questions, or need additional resources. Hold 15-minute meetings to stay up-to-date on the status of the project. When you remain involved in this way, it ensures the project is moving forward and allows you and your team to work through any obstacles.
6. Hold people accountable
You must hold your team accountable for their work and meeting the deadlines. If you constantly redo their work, you’re training them to continue doing work that doesn’t meet your expectations.
Providing regular feedback along the way can help employees know the adjustments they need to make to meet the requirements and expectations of the task.
7. Empower your team members
Delegating tasks to your team should empower them as well. It allows them the opportunity to take ownership of their work and puts them in a position to make decisions. This will help your team grow and develop as professionals and increase their engagement with your company.
Need help with delegation and other leadership tasks?
Delegation skills are important for you to develop as a leader. Delegating allows you to focus on more important tasks, empower your team in their roles, and helps the organization as a whole achieve its goals.
The steps above can help identify tasks to delegate and choose the right person for the task.
If you need help learning to delegate and overcoming the other obstacles you face to grow and scale your organization, a Spearity business coach can help. Contact us to get started today.
