How to Delegate Effectively -- Getting Work Completed Successfully

The skill to delegate is one of the leadership qualities of a manager. Some are good at enforcing their delegation skills, while some aren't. Whatever the quality of delegation, it has a bearing on the business. Good managers are able to build great business empires however; a manager who lacks the skills to delegate often fails to succeed.

Delegation doesn't mean just calling one of your subordinates, and asking him/her to do a certain work. It involves a detailed and planned approach where a manager has to consider all the aspects of the task, the employees, and how to get the work done.

How To Get Work Done Successfully

Under no circumstances must a manager show partiality or favoritism to anyone, anytime or anywhere. This practice will certainly demoralize the other employees, and their negative attitudes will result in their quality of work decreasing as a result of low morale.

Whenever a task is difficult and calls for technical expertise, divide it equally among the employees. It's advisable to delegate the maximum amount of work to the lowest possible level. However in most cases, a manager should always try to delegate the entire job to one person. It not only helps the manager to monitor the job efficiently, but also provides multiple benefits to the employees.

A manager should never dump an entire assignment on just one individual. But instead, provide that person with the proper coaching and training to execute the delegated job effectively. The employees should be given a sufficient amount of time for preparation, and gradually given more responsibilities that they can handle at a comfortable pace.

Once a job is delegated, a manager should never take it back, nor should it be re-delegated to someone else. This action will only serve to increase the disappointment and frustration on the part of your employees, and they'll lose interest in the work and get demoralized.

General Principles To Keep In Mind

1) Delegation should always be a 2-way benefit.

2) Trust your employees. Don't delegate them to tasks that prevent you from attaining your full potential as a manager.

3) Clearly set your expectations and create a good plan.

4) Be clear and concise in explaining the task to your employees and avoid confusion.

5) Motivate your team and explain to them how they're going to benefit from the task.

6) Arrange support programs for the delegates and ensure that they get proper training.

7) Negotiate those points that need to be discussed with your employees, and let them know the importance of the task.

8) Explain the outcome of the job to your employees.

9) Let your delegates know about the available resources and means within which they have to function.

10) Set clear timelines to do any and all tasks.

11) Ask for reports of all the work done at every level and provide feedback. Let the delegates know how they're doing, and praise their efforts if they're able to achieve their goals.

The success or failure of a manager often relates to a his/her delegating skills. The more efficient a manager is in delegation, more efficient the team's performance will be. Trust and consent are 2 of the major elements of good delegating. You can learn from your experience (as well as groom your employees around you) by using your skills to delegate as an effective management tool.