Last month, my featured article was about creating a "Stop Doing" list. Hopefully, if you followed my suggestion, you now have a list of tasks that you are looking to delegate away. It seems a natural progression that I now disclose a few simple steps that will ensure your foray into delegation is a success.
1. Choose the right "delegatee"
Review the task and determine what skills are required. Delegation goes much more smoothly if you match the person with the appropriate skill set to the task you have to assign. Now if you don't have a candidate that has all the skills you are looking for, decide which is the most critical one (analytical ability, attention to detail, communications skills) and make that match.
One of the rewards of delegation is the opportunity to help someone develop and grow. It is unlikely that you will always have a candidate that you can hand off something to and not have to provide some training or coaching. But learning to empower your employees will reap big rewards as their confidence grows with their abilities, and delegation becomes easier and easier, and your "Stop Doing" list gets longer and longer.
2. State your expectations clearly
When you assign a task, be very clear about the deliverables you expect, and qualify your expectations as much as possible. As a minimum, you need to communicate the "what" and the "when". For example: "I want these invoices entered into my database by 5pm tomorrow". Then, start adding qualifications to your request, such as: "Please make sure that the expense categories are correct, and if you are unsure, ask me and I will clarify for you because I want the reports to be accurate."
In addition to communicating about the "what" and "when" of an assignment, I recommend that you also include information on the "why". For example: "I need the monthly recap report done by 5pm tomorrow because I have a meeting with client X the following morning and need the information, so it is really critical that I have it." Often, we assume that others should know what we expect. But if you have a new working relationship with someone, that is probably an unfair expectation. So, take a few minutes to think about what you need to communicate to save both of you a lot of aggravation, and possibly rework.
3. Choose an appropriate oversight level
No one wants to work for a micro-manager, but some managers are too hands-off when it is inappropriate. Note the skills and experience level of your employee and adjust your oversight level accordingly. The first couple of times they handle a complicated task, you may want to check in more frequently. After a few months, you could probably ease off on your involvement as their knowledge and confidence increases.
4. Provide feedback effectively and often
Once in a while, we get really lucky and have someone supporting us who does things perfectly the first time. But that scenario doesn't happen too often. However, we can get the employee to the perfection level by providing appropriate feedback. Tell them very specifically what they did well ("Your accuracy is great. I rarely, if ever, find a mistake in your work. Keep it up."), and what they need to improve on ("I really needed the monthly recap report for Company X done yesterday. I had a meeting with them this morning, and was not able to provide them with the latest information. That reflects poorly on my service. I need you to let me know when you cannot meet a deadline I have given you. Will you do that?")
Specific, constructive feedback is the most effective way to improve performance. Even if you have a "star" employee, you still need to provide the feedback so that they will maintain their high level of performance. Work on giving more positive feedback. If the only time you provide feedback is when you are unhappy, your employees are not going to be very eager to talk with you.
Follow these simple steps and dive right into delegation. As you become more successful in delegating, you will feel more confident in adding to your "Stop Doing" list. Then use your time on something much more impactful for your business, or much more pleasurable for you.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Do you need some structure and accountability to propel you forward? Personal Coach Inez Ng has worked with professionals and entrepreneurs to transform their aspirations into reality. While focusing on specific areas, her coaching positively impacts all areas of her clients' lives. Learn more about coaching with Inez at http://www.RealizationsUnltd.com
Making Your Home Blossom is Easy Having trouble getting a room in your home to have that certain charm you're looking for? Searching for that perfect painting, sculpture, or table lamp can ofte...
Where to Find Discount Home Furnishings You need not shell out a lifetime's worth of savings to furnish your home. Good home décor has become easier to do if you know how to do it on the cheap. One al...
How To Locate Hotels Which Have A Spa You've had a long day exploring and adventuring on your vacation and want to unwind in the hotel spa. But does your hotel have a spa?
Making Better Word Choices – 4 Examples Writers face many decisions when they work on a project. This article helps writers decide when to use the correct word for four common "trouble areas." Incor...
Download Free Ringtone to Cellular Phone Music spearheads the ringtones industry. You can download free ringtone to cellular phone from websites. You can download free ringtone to cellular phone or you...
God Became Man The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. --JOHN 1:14
Entrepreneurs Just Get Better With Age According to recent studies 22 percent of men and 14 percent of women over 65 are self-employed. That's compared to just 7 percent for other age groups. Accordi...
Dieting Tips Some of my dieting tips are not conventional. You can read zillions of tips where they say, don't shop while hungry or just eat less and where has that gotten y...
Professional Traffic Building Tips Let's face it; the Internet is cluttered with all sorts of guides about increasing traffic to your web site. Wouldn't you like to build up quality traffic that ...
Web Site Accessibility Accessibility seems to be one of the hottest issues in web design at the moment. Many companies are rebuilding sites to meet accessibility standards. So, what i...
Discover Your Creativity As a growing copywriter and Cyberspace Marketeer, I often seek new ideas and ways of doing stuff... But before this process can happen, I have to "pay my dues."...
Can I Give My Dog The Flu? Everyone seems on edge about the latest outbreak of avian flu. People in China are told to kill their poultry in order to keep the virus from spreading. Meanwhi...
ZINOPIN: New All In One Natural Travel Supplement! Dr John H Scurr leading British Consultant Vascular Surgeon targets Travellers DVT, Travel Sickness, Oedema (Swollen Ankles) and free radical damage from cosmic...
Hypnosis HYPNOSIS is a state of induced but conscious sleep through the process of suggestion. Hypnosis must be readily accepted by the...
Healing From Within This article explores a new way of dealing with pain and illness and shows how to start the process of healing from within. When we tap the power of healing fr...
Stress Management by Relaxation Stress management can be achieved through relaxation exercises. They start with deep breaths, then maximal tension in your muscles. But why practice tensions?
Woodworking – Creative, Relaxing and Timeless Recreational woodworking is hard to beat as a source of stress relief and satisfaction, but it sometimes gets too casual, which short-changes the planning phase...
Print this page