Imagine the scene… your diary is jam-packed with client meetings, and you need to finish preparing for a couple of them. A member of your team wants some time with you as they need your input on some client work, before it gets sent out. Your partner is calling you as one of your children forgot their swimming kit and they want to know if you can sort it. And you really need to finish on time today, because you have a social event that you really don’t want to miss. You’re feeling overwhelmed, tense and starting to get a headache!

As business owners (and managers) delegation is a really important skill for us to have. Especially, if we want to avoid overwhelm, exhaustion or, worst case, burnout. Hands up if you’ve been there before…?! Sadly, you’re not alone.

So, what stops us from delegating?

There are many reasons we shy away from delegating and here are just a few:

• We think it’s quicker and easier to do it ourselves than to explain it
• We feel guilty asking someone else to do it and adding to their ‘to do’ list
• We keep hold of specific knowledge as we want to feel indispensable
• We enjoy the work and don’t really want to give it to someone else
• We lack confidence or trust in those we should be delegating to
• We believe that we will do a better job

Who can answer yes to more than one of these…?! The good news is, it doesn’t actually matter what the reason is, we can all learn to delegate more effectively. Not only to avoid overwhelm for ourselves, but also by not delegating effectively our team are missing out on valuable learning opportunities.

Here are 9 ways you can start delegating more effectively to build high-performing teams1.

1. Know what to delegate – it sounds obvious but not every task on your plate can be delegated. Go through your list and get clear on what only you can do, such as performance reviews etc. Are there tasks you regularly do that would be better placed with a colleague? What tasks could you hand over that will boost your team’s career development? Is there a task that could be a good teachable moment to enhance their knowledge and expertise? It will show you trust and value your team as well as giving you more time to focus strategically.
2. Focus on your team member’s strengths and goals – every employee should have goals they’re working towards and these are great opportunities to delegate. If they’re responsible for contributing to a revenue goal for example, then delegate sales responsibilities. What areas were identified in their development plan? And what can you delegate to support their growth in this area? Hand over tasks that play to their strengths. When someone has a higher chance of excelling, they’re more motivated and engaged which is great for everyone.
3. Define the desired outcome – dumping work on someone isn’t delegating. When handing over work, be really clear on exactly what needs completing and by when. What metrics will you use to measure success and what does ‘good’ look like? Resist the urge to tell them how to do it (disempowering) but be specific about the end goal. Be sure they understand the brief to begin with.
4. Provide the right resources and level of authority – if the person you’re delegating to needs further training, specific resources or increased authority, it’s your role to provide all of these elements. Nobody likes to be set up for failure. Ensure they have all the support they need to complete the task well. And try not to micromanage them as this can be really de-motivating. Enable them to give you regular updates on the project as needed.
5. Establish a clear communication channel – ensure the person you are delegating to has the opportunity to ask questions and seek guidance if required. Be clear on what you want to know, the level of detail you need and how often. You might want to set up regular meetings, or build them into existing 1-2-1s if they already exist.
6. Allow for failure – this step is particularly important for us perfectionists who think their way is the only way! Allowing for failure enables experimentation and enables your team to suggest a new approach if failure does occur. Be open to new ideas and new ways of doing things.
7. Be patient – it’s highly likely you have much more experience than the person you’re delegating to. And what would take you 15 minutes could take them an hour the first time they do it. Think back to when you first started. You probably weren’t as efficient then as you are now. Remember the longer-term goal – more time for you to focus strategically and less overwhelm!
8. Offer feedback both ways – providing quality feedback is something most businesses don’t do enough at and it’s one of the most important factors for building motivation and happiness in your team. Provide positive feedback when you feel a task has been completed well and don’t be afraid to provide constructive feedback when you feel a task wasn’t completed as briefed, to help them grow. Ask you team for feedback too to ensure you are delegating as effectively as possible. What could you do differently in future?
9. Celebrate success – thank and credit those who have achieved the work, as an individual but also share and celebrate successes as a team. Not only will this help to build a positive culture, it will help make those around you feel more engaged and motivated.

Delegation isn’t easy. It’s a skill that needs to be practiced and learned over time. We will all make mistakes and hopefully we’ll do it differently the next time around. The better we become at delegating the right tasks, to the right people, in the right way the more effective we’ll become as a leaders.

 

References: 1. Harvard Business School Online resources.