Effective leadership can only happen through effective delegation of responsibilities. It is important to understand that no one can do everything. Even Batman had Robin to help him. Managers and entrepreneurs who let go of ‘I’ and work towards ‘We’ benefit both in the short and long run. Like an octopus, employees have their other arms that are there to help them achieve a common goal.
Delegating is a key skill that managers should possess for the effective management of an organization. Routing work does not indicate incompetency in any way.; it provides time to focus on tasks that are more productive and are of higher value.
GUIDELINES FOR DELEGATING WORK
- Clarity on What is Expected – Before you delegate, chalk down the goals and responsibilities of each member of your team and then present them to your employees. Clarity of thoughts plays a crucial role both for the employer as well as the employee.
- Set the Quality Standards and Time Limit – Highlighting the expected quality standards and marking the time limit prior to commencement of any project sets the expectation level of the task and guides the employees to attain that degree of efficiency.
- Provide Resources – Allocating resources to colleagues beforehand not only saves time and energy but also ensures the smooth functioning of tasks.
CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING GUIDELINES FOR DELEGATION
- Be the Resource – It is important not to alienate yourself once the task is delegated. Keeping a track of the progress, suggesting ways to improvise, and giving timely feedback prepare you for consequences or any unpleasant surprises in the end.
- Trust and Show Confidence in your Employees– Empowering employees to take certain decisions and assigning new tasks that provide them an opportunity to hone their skills, keep them engaged, and motivate them to work towards perfection. Furthermore, exhibiting trust and providing positive feedback boosts the confidence and morale of the employees.
- What should you delegate– Knowing the abilities and skills of your employees and planning delegation of work in accordance with their capabilities often reaps good results. Refrain from delegating matters that are confidential or the ones that can question your capability.
Remember! Managers who consider delegation equivalent to investment in people, teams, and organizations demonstrate greater confidence in themselves and are able to generate tangible benefits for everyone.