Effective delegation is essential for impactful leadership of a productive team. When done properly, it saves time, boosts morale, increases productivity, and provides valuable resources for your company. Managers who build lasting teams delegate. They trust their teams and leverage their skills.
But, delegation can go wrong. Mistakes in delegation can lead to awkward office situations or, worse, lost sales or employees. If you are responsible for managing even one person, delegating tasks will inevitably be part of your role.
So how do you set yourself up for success? Here are a few key elements of any effective delegation.
Avoid assigning only one-off tasks. Delegation isn't about outsourcing routine chores. It's about the dual benefit of developing an employee's competence while leveraging their skills. Whenever possible, the person performing the task should have the chance to see the project and take ownership of it.
So, let them own the work. Delegate long-term projects, processes, and goals. Your team should understand what's being delegated to them, why, and what the expected results are.
Learn more: Building Future-Ready Teams
If you’ve selected the right person to delegate to, they’re likely capable of doing the work. However, they still need the appropriate tools to effectively carry out your requests. These tools include:
Delegating to them is step 1. Empowering them to do the work to the best of their abilities is step 2. Consider doing regular check-ins throughout the project. Your team member is now in the driver's seat, and you are the consultant.
Providing honest feedback, particularly about your own performance, helps build trust over time and enhances both efficiency and understanding.
Always start with an (honest) self-evaluation (did I delegate properly; did I make assumptions; what mistakes did I make, etc). Only after that should you give your employee feedback.
The best feedback is
Remember, the goal is to improve the team's productivity, progress towards the goal, and your employee's competence. Use feedback as an opportunity to smooth out any friction in the process and bolster your teammate's confidence.
Set the delegatee up for success. Plan and organize the email or meeting where the delegation will take place to avoid uncertainty or confusion.
Be specific rather than general, and ensure the goal is realistic. The goal is to identify a broad list and perform initial interviews.
Example: “I would like a list of 10 options for copyright attorneys with litigation experience practicing in New York State.”
This is frequently overlooked! If you don't set a deadline, your employee won't know how to prioritize. It's crucial to establish this deadline collaboratively.
Example: "Do you think three days is enough time to get this done? If so, how about a deadline of 12 pm EST on July 23rd?"
Now you have both the deadline and the employee’s buy-in to that deadline.
Include your specific needs around time, budget, or quality.
Example: “I need to sign this contract by the end of the month. Lower price matters to me more than experience. I am willing to pay up to $350 per hour for the right person.”
Explain what actions your employee can take on your behalf. Be sure to consider their core skills and avoid micromanaging.
Example: “You are free to interview any prospects on my behalf. And you may discard any obviously unqualified prospects.”
Describe your ideal outcome. What does success look like? How will you gauge it? This provides context for your final goal.
Example: “This project will be successful if I sign a contract with an experienced, reasonably priced attorney in less than 10 days.”
These could encompass contacts, schedules, past research, call notes, previous experience, white papers—anything that might assist your employee’s efforts.
Example: “I am attaching a referral list given to me by my business contacts. Please start with this list.”
A simple method is to ask them to repeat or clarify the assignment to you, which works well as a closing for the meeting or email.
Example: “Please confirm by email today that you understand this assignment, and have the resources to complete it.”
Frequent check-ins have saved many projects.
Example: “Let’s check in tomorrow at 2 pm EST to see how you are doing. Please call me with any questions.”
If you need help delegating, here are a few options to help you: