How To Delegate Work (The Right Way)

Delegation is not reserved for managers alone. Everyone needs this vital skill. It’s not enough to know how to do it, you must practice it as well.

Many employees may shy away from delegating because they simply find it tedious to explain the tasks. Some team members may enjoy feeling indispensable for their knowledge and skills. A common pitfall to delegating is the belief that you’re the only person who can perform a task or complete a job the right way.  

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Are there are any consequences of not delegating? Well, it may lead to a bloated schedule with no room to handle critical duties.

The business performance may consequently suffer as there will be missed growth opportunities. A Gallup Study established that CEOs who are excellent at delegating generate 33% more revenue.

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Employees who receive ‘stretch assignments’ experience a boost in their morale and better productivity. Here are 6 tips to improve how you delegate:  

1. Determine what needs to be delegated
   

Your role may entail performing tasks not related to your job description. Similarly, repetitive tasks may be eating up your time. So, figure out the tasks to assign to other team members or freelancers.

Some tasks that you should not delegate include those that take too long to explain, highly-specific work, crisis-management tasks, and confidential jobs.

2. Understand your employee’s strengths and weaknesses
   

Part of delegating is selecting the employee or person to handle the assigned tasks. That’s why you need to understand the person’s preferences, strengths, and weaknesses. For instance, you may look for employees eager to progress their careers by taking on challenging assignments. Similarly, some employees may have specific skills required for the delegated tasks.  

3. Set clear outcomes
   

Don’t merely add the delegatee’s name to a digital to-do list. Make the work meaningful by giving context about how the tasks help further the organization’s goals. You should set clear expectations about what you want them to achieve. For instance, don’t merely request the employee to qualify new leads. Give specifics about what they need to accomplish—set frequencies, durations, timelines, and deadlines.  

4. Provide access, training, and resources
   

Give the person who is responsible for performing the assigned duty the right level of authority, resources, and tools. If they miss anything, they may end up frustrated.

Training may become necessary for the successful completion of the project. If you have time, you may consider creating an online course with a program such as WorkPilot.

Alternatively, you can implement job shadowing and on-the-job training. Essentially, it entails: Watch me do this, let’s try together, now you do it.  

5. Promote open communication
   

Don’t let people feel like the boss is too busy to listen to their questions. You should open and maintain an active communication channel.

If you’re delegating, it often means that someone less skilled and less-experienced will perform the task. Therefore, results may not exactly match your standards.

You still need to handle failure with grace and help the person to improve. They may also spend more time doing the job, and it helps to remain patient.

6. Give feedback and credit
   

Show gratitude for the work received from the delegatee. You can also take this time to pinpoint areas for improvement.  

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Set Clear Tasks and Duties with WorkPilot

Part of delegating like a pro entails giving clear instructions and assigning tasks. Holding a conversation about the tasks is not enough. Consider using WorkPilot to assign tasks, create checklists, or track progress.