Delegating Without Fear

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You don't have to be afraid of delegating work to others if you follow these principles.

Make Appropriate Assignments
You know the capabilities of each of your associates. When you plan their assignments, consider which person can do which job most effectively and efficiently.

Making Sure That Your Instructions Are Understood
After you give detailed instructions to one of your team members, your usual question is probably "Do you understand?" and their usual answer is "Yes." But do they really understand? Maybe or maybe not! Or maybe that person just thinks they understand and don’t or are too embarrassed to say they don't.

Rather than ask "Do you understand?" ask "What are you going to do?" or "How do you plan on accomplishing this task?" Listen to their response and make sure your assignment has been understood.

Making Sure That Your Instructions Are Accepted
Your instructions must be not only be understood but also accepted by your team member. To gain acceptance, let your team member know the importance of the work and give him/her a chance to respond to whether or not they can get it done and within the allotted time.

Setting Control Points
A control point is a spot in a project at which you stop, examine work that has been completed, and, if errors have been made, correct them. This way you can catch errors early in the project, make adjustments, and avoid any major challenges later.

You can also make sure that the project will be completed by the deadline. A control point is not a surprise inspection. A team member knows exactly when each control point is established and what should be accomplished by then.

Providing The Tools And Authority To Get The Job Done
You can’t do a job without the proper tools and/or authority to get it done. Providing equipment, computer time, tools, and access to resources is an obvious step, but giving authority is another story.

Many managers are reluctant to give up any of their authority. If a job is to be done without your micro-management, you must give the people doing the job the power to make decisions.

Give people enough authority to get the job done right. If they need supplies or materials, give them a budget so that they can order what they need without having to ask for your approval for every purchase. If the project requires overtime give them the authority to make that decision and avoid the work getting slowed down in your absence.

When delegating, team members almost always have questions, seek advice, and/or need your help. Be there for them, but don't let them throw the project back at you. Let them know that you are there to help, support, and advise, but not to do the project.

© 2004. Source: Gary Sorrell (Copyright protected)