Being A Better Manager – Knowing How To Delegate
Do you really know how to delegate? I bet you say you do! But I wonder?
Knowing when, and what, to delegate does help. It should not just be about feeling you’ve got too much to do and you just need to pass something (anything) from your in tray on to someone else.
When you delegate what you delegate should meet two criteria;
- It must lighten your load and free you up to concentrate on what is important for you to do at your level, with your particular skills.
- It should help the receiver to learn and grow.
You should give the receiver the authority they need to complete the task just as if you had done it yourself. Of course, you give them only the authority necessary for their work and to complete the task as you would. You need to have a care about this; particularly where budgets are concerned.
Remember, though, that when you delegate, the responsibility remains with you. You need to make sure they have the training they need to do the job and you need to think about how they will be supervised. There needs to be space for them to do the task in their own way, but you need to ensure they understand, and will meet, any necessary standards. Most importantly, you (and they) need to be clear about how you will measure the results.
Then, you need to give them time to practice and you need to accept that when they start, they won’t do the job as well as you.
They will need to know who they can go to for help, if they have problem.
When you know how to delegate properly, you will have established an opportunity for real personal development for your team. And they will be better motivated as a result. On top of that, you will have more time to concentrate on the work that really requires your input – a win-win situation, all round.
Wendy Mason is a career coach. She helps people reach their goals and aspirations, without sacrificing their home and personal life. Before working as a coach, Wendy had a long career in both the public and private sectors in general management and consultancy as well as spells in HR. She now divides her time between coaching and writing. You can contact Wendy at wendymason@wisewolfcoaching.com and find out more at http://wisewolfcoaching.com
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