Effective Delegation - Doing More With Less. Part 3

Today, we will look at what we need to consider in regard to "To Whom" to delegate the task. So, assuming you have a team, be that employees, volunteers, family etc. you can choose based on the following:

1. Who can do it? In other words, who has the appropriate skill, knowledge & experience, and the time & motivation to do it. As well as no personality querks that would get in the way.
2. Who is the best person to do it?
3. What else do they have on their plate?
4. Who would benefit developmentally, from doing it?
5. What help would they need?
6. Who has the time and expertise to provide that help?
7. What level of direction or support would they require?

In our leadership programs we delve into these questions in depth.

Next, we need to communicate the task, and our preparation using the 6 Step Formula from Part 1, now comes to the fore. Putting that in writing and giving it to the person assigned the task ensures greater probability of success and forces us to provide the necessary resources to get the job done. How often have you been given an assignment without the appropriate resources? When we incorporate all 7 steps there are "No Surprises".

When we, as leaders, are clear about what we want done, and we provide this clarity to our direct reports, the work gets done correctly the first time. And, since the quality standards and deadlines are elucidated up front, there are no surprise on the back end.

Initially, you may feel that the gain from delegating is not worth the pain and you would rather just 'do it yourself". Hang in there. The investment of time now, will reap sustainable rewards. Having looked at who to assign a task to, next time we will consider how best to engage the assignee. Until then, keep Going For It!