To Delegate or Not...That is the Question

 Delegation of responsibilities, or getting your work accomplished by others is a skill that all managers need to practice consistently and successfully.    The all too familiar cry however, "it's just easier to do it myself".  The result is burned out managers who take responsibility for everything and demoralized subordinates who feel their boss doesn't trust them with greater responsibility.    Being a good delegator requires skills that many of us will need to learn; it takes us out of our comfort zone in order that we can assume the true responsibilities of supervision and leadership.  

Here are a few things you will need to learn to do well in order to have your delegation of tasks work well.

1.  Take the time to train people to do tasks that can be delegated.  It is easier to delegate when you feel confident that the work will be done satisfactorily.  Don't stretch subordinates with work beyond their capability;  it's setting them up for failure.  But you do need to be good at assessing skills and training to fill in the knowledge gaps.

2.  Remember that there is always more than one way to effectively complete a task.   Your subordinate may help you see a way to "work smarter".   Sometimes to delegate, means to give up control and allow the knowledge of others to be expressed.

3.  Match the person to the job requirements.  Sounds obvious, no?   But a lot of times we don't identify tasks for delegation in a way which makes professional sense.   Rather, for example, we dump jobs on to others simply because we don't like to do those particular tasks.  That's not fair and it's not professional.  

4.  Keep your own needs for perfection in check.   If your attitude is that "no one can do it better than I can" you can't delegate successfully.

5.  As a general rule, tasks that you delegate should meet the following criteria:

• things that divert your attention from the work you really should be doing
• tasks that don't require your personal attention
• tasks that another person on your team can handle
• tasks that will enhance the reputation of others on the team when they complete them successfully. 

6.  There are also some general rules around which tasks you should NOT delegate.  For example:

• don't delegate a job that will directly impact your own welfare or the welfare of your work team if it is not completed satisfactorily
• don't delegate a task that your boss has asked you to handle personally
• don't delegate a task that requires special credentials or licensing that only you have.

Strong leaders delegate.  Through the delegation of responsibility, you will achieve your goals and contribute to the personal growth of others.  And....maybe you'll get home in time for dinner.  

Healthier Workplaces has a complete training project on how to delegate tasks successfully, as well as on other responsibilities of leadership.  Why re-invent the wheel.  Give us a call at 877-872-6195.