5 Delegation Tips For Leaders And Managers

Learning is a lifelong process and the best leaders never stop developing their skills. At New Quest, we are committed to providing relevant, effective coaching and training to today’s leaders.

One aspect of team leading that can be difficult to manage is learning how to delegate tasks and responsibilities. It’s an important skill, but one that doesn’t come naturally to everyone.

What is delegation?

Delegation refers to redirecting tasks or responsibilities to other team members.

Why is delegation important in the workplace?

It allows the team to meet high priority goals by redistributing tasks and responsibilities and thereby sharing workflow effectively. No one person can effectively do it all. Strong leaders recognize that not only is it okay to ask for help, it is absolutely necessary in order to maximize efficiency and productivity.

Delegation Tips

1. Identify the best person for the job

Good leaders understand each employee’s strengths and preferences. They recognize who does what well and delegates accordingly. Another option is to present team members with options and allow them to self-select tasks. Over time, this builds trust among your team.

2. Determine what needs to be delegated

You got in this business for a reason and there are some tasks that require your personal attention. Don’t delegate tasks that you aren’t comfortable passing to another team member. Do recognize that the skills of others may be superior to yours and delegate accordingly. Good tasks to delegate are:
a. Those that recur, because this allows a team membership to take ownership of specific tasks on an ongoing basis.
b. Those that align with a team member’s professional goals. Team members are more likely to put maximum effort into tasks that help them grow professionally.
c. Those that team members are interested in. Enthusiasm goes a long way into making certain things get done well and timely, so ensuring that you are delegating tasks to people based on their abilities as well as their likes and passions encourages successful outcomes.

3. Give them the correct resources and training

The team member who takes on the task has to have the skills and tools necessary to complete the task. Providing educational opportunities or resources shows employees you value them and have faith that they will put the skills to use.

4. Don’t hover

While delegating tasks, you must be willing to delegate complete responsibility and authority over those tasks. No one thrives in an environment where they always feel like they are being watched. In addition, expecting team members to check in and get constant approval will slow down the process and negate the benefits of delegating the task. Allowing team members to own their responsibilities is empowering and validating.

5. Say thanks

No matter if the task is small and simple or large and complex, saying a sincere thank you inspires loyalty, provides employee satisfaction and encourages excellence. Showing genuine appreciation and pointing out specific things a team member did right will pay dividends in generating employee enthusiasm and loyalty.

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