Anyone who has ever managed even one person understands how important it is to be able to delegate (even when a task may be performed better and faster by the supervisor). In fact, the better your team does under your leadership, the more value you will bring to your organization. To become more effective at delegating, use the four step process outlined in this article.

Delegating is an often overlooked, yet essential skill to master as you advance in your career. Its purpose is to enable you to dispose of simpler tasks to free you up to perform tasks which are of greater value to your organization. The time it takes up front to orchestrate a plan of action, explain the desired outcome, and monitor the progress of each subordinate ultimately requires less time than it would take to execute the entire action plan yourself. That is, if you delegate correctly.

You are hampering your ability to delegate effectively if you:

• believe can do the task better/faster yourself;
• worry that a subordinate might not do the task properly and, because you are ultimately accountable, your professional reputation may be at risk;
• fear that if the subordinate does do it well, you may be viewed as “non-essential” or expendable;

The truth is you probably can do the specific task better and faster. However, as you move up the hierarchy, additional responsibilities will also require your attention. With the same amount of hours in each day and multiplying responsibilities, you have to use every available resource to get all the work done. Accept the fact that occasionally, it will take more time to explain to someone else how to do an assignment than it would take to do it yourself. Delegate it anyway. The next time, it will take less time to explain. More importantly, you will be developing your team for the future and, thus ultimately gain the desired leverage and control you are seeking. And remember, people rise or fall to the level of expectation. Delegate tasks and hold people accountable. The better your team does under your leadership, the more value you will bring to your organization. No one ever lost a job for being too productive.

Understand that there is a difference between assigning a task and delegating one. If there are multiple directives, required check-ins and a significant amount of supervision time, you have merely assigned the task. This method will cause you to become a choke point and slow down the work process. Nothing will render you expendable or non-essential faster than being seen as the bottleneck, responsible for missed deadlines and an underutilized team.

To become more effective at delegating, use the four step process outlined below.

 

STEP 1: THINK IT THROUGH.

Every successful project has defined and approved goals, a committed team and a viable plan of action that can effectively accommodate change. Invest the time at the beginning of the project to think through the project. This will enable you to clearly define the goals and objectives, assign the tasks and assess the progress to ensure you get the end result you want, which will ultimately save time. Consider:

• What is the goal or desired end result?
• How many people do I need to accomplish the goal? What type of skills do they need to possess?
• Can some of the tasks be carried out in parallel?
• Will delegating critical tasks to someone else free me up to troubleshoot as problems arise without delaying the project?
• Are there competing projects with higher priorities that are going to take up key resources?

 

STEP 2: ASSEMBLE THE TEAM

Identify the person(s) who can get the job done. (Granted, sometimes you have no choice of team members. In that instance, the next steps are even more critical!) Be sure to get a commitment from each team member that they:

• have the ability to perform the task;
• understand the project’s overall objective;
• can complete the task in the allotted timeframe;
• are aware of established performance standards.

 

STEP 3: IMPLEMENT THE ACTION PLAN

Once you know who is on the team and have a sense of their strengths and weaknesses, you will want to decide which of the six levels of delegation is appropriate for their skill level and your comfort level. Be clear about the delegation level at which your subordinate is expected to operate.

1. Research and Report : subordinate is asked to research specific information and report back on findings;
2. Recommend Action : subordinate is asked to research specific information, formulate multiple suggestions as to how to proceed, and come back to discuss;
3. Take Action--When I say GO: subordinate is expected to check in with you before acting;
4. Take Action— Unless I say NO; subordinate is expected to take action unless you step in and say not to;
5. Take Action and Let me know what you did: subordinate takes ownership of projects and is expected to keep you in the loop;
6. Take Action and I don’t want to hear about it again: subordinate operates independently.

As you work more and more with people and trust develops, you will get more comfortable delegating at higher levels.

 

STEP 4: COMMUNICATE! COMMUNICATE! COMMUNICATE!

Always operate under the principal that you can never be too clear. As the delegator, it is your responsibility to ensure your subordinates know:

• Goals and Objectives of the project . Too many busy professionals delegate under the command and control style of “Do this because I said so.” They believe it will take too long to explain the details. However, if everybody understands the overall objective (which typically can be explained in three sentences in less than 30 seconds) or how their segment of the project ties into the overall goal, they will be more invested in the project and better serve the needs of the organization.
• Operating Procedures . Let people know how information will be shared (e-mail, voicemail, meetings, etc.) who else is working on the project and any other peculiarities specific to this project.
• SPECIFIC Deadlines . “ASAP” is meaningless. So is “In a few days.” Try, “I need it in an hour” or “I need it Wednesday afternoon.” Leave no room for ambiguity. Setting specific deadlines and allowing your team to manage their own workload will ameliorate your constant need to hover and inquire “is it done yet?” to the relief of both you and our team members.
• Expected performance standards . Even if you believe people should know what is expected of them—take the 10 seconds required to state the obvious. Remember, you can never be too clear.
• How they are doing along the way . Provide on-going feedback to allow for corrections to be made as the project progresses.

Delegating is not just a way to reduce your workload and complete projects. It is a way to develop employees and strengthen the workforce. Once you learn to mobilize forces around you, you will maximize your leverage, free yourself up to perform tasks of greater value to your organization and maybe even find a little spare time to enjoy your life.