Management and effective delegation

Managers must be able to delegate effectively. The ability to properly delegate is one of the most important skills of a manager. Why should the manager delegate? When should he do it? We will answer these questions here.

Approximate reading time: 5m 56s

If you are a manager, you have certainly been overwhelmed with tasks many times and you wanted to transfer some of them to someone else. The good news is that this can and can happen through delegation. However, many managers are afraid of this word and do not delegate for various reasons.

The bad news is that if you want to be a successful manager and a good leader, you have to learn to delegate.

For more tips, see our free microlearning "Tips for Effective Delegation" .

Before we show you the main reasons why you need to delegate, let's first understand what delegation means.

According to Wiktionary, Delegation is the assignment of a task, beyond the usual ones for the employee concerned, together with the necessary powers to perform it. Completion of the task ends the powers.

Delegation is the assignment of a task by a manager to an employee, which is part of the manager's job and is not common to the employee concerned. It is characteristic of the delegation that in order to perform the task, the manager must give the necessary powers to the employee. Furthermore, the delegation does not focus on the way the task is performed, but on the outcome of its implementation. For example, if you delegate an employee to look for new customers, you will be interested in how many new customers he has earned for the company in one month (result), not in how (how) he found customers - whether from conversations on phone, e-mail or face-to-face meetings. That is, when delegating, managers are not interested in how the task is performed, but whether it is successful or not.

There is a quote that illustrates very well the above:

"Never tell people how to do things. Tell them what to do and they will surprise you with their ingenuity."
George Smith Patton Jr., General of World War II

It is important to say that the responsibility for carrying out the delegation task is not transferred to the employee, but still to the manager. This does not mean that the employee does not bear any responsibility, but the responsibility for the success or failure of the task lies with the manager.

So, let's look at a few reasons why it's important to delegate:

1) You have more time for the really important things

Delegation will free up time for more important things like time to think about the company's goal and strategy. Delegation will give you more time to devote to your own personal and professional development, which is extremely important for any leader. You can improve your productivity both in the workplace and personally with our Time Management for Busy and Time Management Masterclass trainings.

2) Helps employees learn new knowledge and skills

When you delegate to employees, it usually involves learning new things about them and helping them develop their professional skills. This makes employees more efficient and confident in their work. To learn how to motivate your employees, see the Staff Motivation training.

3) Less stress

When you are overwhelmed with various tasks, it is difficult to stay calm and not succumb to the stress of whether you will be able to do everything on time. If you learn to delegate, you will have people to help you reduce stress and avoid the so-called "Burnout", which we know is not good for you or your job. You can find out more about how to deal with stress in the workplace in our Stress Management training.

4) Increases the responsibility of employees

Delegation means that you trust your employees and believe that they will handle the task. This in turn leads to a higher sense of responsibility in employees who will strive to justify your trust and expectations of them.

5) Improves team communication

Delegation reduces the distance between the manager and the employees. When you delegate tasks to employees, it makes them feel closer to you and your level. This, of course, will make communication between you much easier and more natural.

6) More work can be done in less time

Very often managers forget that they are also human and also have 24 hours a day, during which, no matter how hard they try, they are unlikely to do everything themselves. But imagine that you have 10 tasks to complete today. If you can delegate even half of them to 5 employees, it will certainly take less time to complete them than if you have to do all the tasks yourself. And so more tasks will be done in less time.

7) You become a better leader

Delegation increases your influence among employees. When you show them that you trust them and believe in them, when you give them freedom, everyone will want to work for such a leader. This means that employees will be more motivated when they work for you, and you will achieve better results with your team. Leadership training will help you improve your leadership skills.

You can see more about the benefits of delegation in the training "Effective delegation for managers" .

Tips on how to delegate effectively

It is not important to just delegate tasks, but to delegate effectively so that the task is completed successfully. Here are some tips to help you delegate effectively and be a successful leader.

1) Determine what you will delegate

First of all, before you start delegating, you need to choose a task that can be delegated. Our training "Effective delegation for managers" describes in detail which tasks can be delegated and which cannot.

2) Choose to whom you will delegate

This is one of the most important things in delegation. Choosing the right person to delegate a task largely determines whether the task will be completed successfully or not. To choose the right employee you need to know well the skills and capabilities of your employees. One of the things to consider when choosing a person to delegate is whether he or she has the time to complete the task or has other more important tasks. If you want to know the other criteria for choosing the right person for delegation, see the training "Effective delegation for managers" .

3) Delegate on time, set a deadline for the task

Too often, managers make the mistake of delegating tasks to their employees at the last minute, when there is not enough time to complete the task. This creates stress and confusion for employees and they will probably not be very happy with the last minute delegation. To avoid this, plan your delegation tasks in time so that employees have enough time to complete them. Always indicate the deadlines within which the task must be completed. This way, employees will know which tasks are a priority. You can see what are the other mistakes that are made in delegation and how to avoid them in the training "Effective delegation for managers" .

4) Clearly define your task and expectations

When delegating, you need to explain very clearly the specifics of the task and the expected results of it. It is good to give clear criteria to assess whether the task is successful or not. You must also provide the necessary information or training if this is necessary to complete the task.

5) Delegate authority

As we have already said, delegation involves the empowerment of tasks, and this is one of the essential things that distinguishes delegation from assignment. Many managers fear that when they give authority they lose control and this can lead to mistakes. But still, making mistakes is a way for employees to learn and develop.

6) Monitor progress and give feedback

Delegation does not mean that you do not have to ask for a progress report on the task. Moreover, it is necessary for employees to know if they are doing well with the task. Progress can be monitored in different ways, one of which is to ask for a report on the progress of the task at certain periods, for example every week or every 10 days, etc. Once you see how the employee is doing and whether he is on the right track, be sure to give feedback on his work, even if it is negative. Indicate what needs to be improved, what needs to be adjusted in order to complete the task successfully.

7) Show recognition for the work done

When the task is completed, be sure to show recognition to the team or people to whom you have delegated. Praise them for the good results and tell them what needs to be improved. This will serve as a lesson and guide for further tasks. If the task is not successful, the reasons for this must be sought. Remember that the responsibility for whether the task is completed successfully or not is the manager's, so do not blame or criticize employees, learn from them and improve your work.

The ability to delegate is extremely important for your development as a leader. Through it, you help yourself, your employees, and the company or organization as a whole. The benefits of delegation are numerous if you delegate effectively.