If you’re one of the many professionals today trying to do more in less time, you know delegation is a must. Unfortunately, many people say they dislike delegating. They fear that the task they delegate will never get done, or that it will get done, but not to their liking. As such, they refuse to delegate anything to anyone unless absolutely necessary.
The reality is that failure to delegate causes more stress and leads others to believe that you don’t trust them or don’t want them to take on new responsibilities. That’s when people view you as a “control freak” who refuses to let anything go.
The good news is that effective delegation follows a simple process that anyone can learn. Whether you are a director overwhelmed with deadlines and meetings or a supervisor trying to stay on time with multiple projects, these tips will enable you to delegate effectively and be more productive.
1. Be committed to the full delegation cycle. Proper delegation is actually a cycle with four points. The task comes to you from some other source, such as a supervisor or customer. You then delegate all or parts of the work to someone else. That person in turn reports back to you periodically on progress. Finally, you receive the finished product and report to the original source of the assignment. Be sure to complete all four points of interaction for every assignment you delegate. If you neglect any one of them, the process breaks down, and delegation fails.
2. Delegate in writing. Often, delegation breaks down because the person you delegate to is unclear on the details of the assignment. Rather than ask for clarification (and possibly appear incompetent), the person sits on the job, hoping you will give some additional clues about what you really want.
That’s why you need to put the instructions in writing. You can send a simple e-mail, or provide something more formal, such as a detailed process sheet. In writing the task down, you have to slow down enough to spell out all the details someone needs to complete the task successfully.
Your written note also provides guidance for the person who receives it. He or she then can refer back to your instructions as necessary and so stay on track. Yes, written delegation takes more time. But remember that for every minute you spend writing out the details, you might save an hour in execution.
3. Train your team members to report back on time. In your written instructions, be sure to tell people when you want them to report back to you, both with progress updates and with the final product. Be specific. Rather than say, “Please give me regular updates on your progress,” say, “Please provide a status update every Friday at 2 p.m. for the next two months, or until the project is completed.” Being specific removes any guesswork and enables your team to live up to your expectations.
When team members report back on time, make a big deal about it. Thank them for completing the task and congratulate them for reporting back within the time frame you outlined. If they fail to report back on time, call them to account. If they completed the task but did not report back to you with the final product, point out that reporting is just as important as getting the task done. With every delegated assignment, reinforce the importance of reporting in a timely manner.
4. Use a reminder system to ensure proper follow-up. Never delegate an assignment and completely leave it up to the other person. Just as the person you delegate to needs to be accountable for reporting in, you need to be accountable for following up. Your reminder system can be your daily planner, your Outlook program, a tickler file, or any system that works for you. Make a note to follow up with a team member if you have not received the report, update, or task as requested.
If you give the team member the deadline of Friday at 2 p.m. for a progress update, then enter into your own reminder system to follow up with the person at 4 p.m. if he or she does not meet the deadline. Give the team member the full opportunity to report to you before you track him or her down for follow-up.
Follow up only when the person misses a requested deadline. You don’t want to train people that you will follow-up on a regular basis, as that leaves the responsibility with you. Rather, you want to train people that they are expected to report back to you.
If they don’t report and you don’t follow up, the cycle is broken and delegation fails.
5. Report back to the person you received the assignment from. The job is not done just because the delegated task is completed to your satisfaction. You need to complete the cycle by reporting back to the person who initially gave the task to you.
Tell your boss the findings. Give the customer the information he or she needed. Share your report with management. Keep the communication chain intact so that others learn that they can trust you as well.
If you want to free up some of your time so you can focus on your core duties, you need to delegate effectively. So examine your daily tasks and decide which ones someone else can do. Then delegate effectively. Proper attention to the delegation process pays great dividends in higher productivity, on-track company objectives, and reduced work-related stress.
Christi Youd, trained by the National Association of Professional Organizers, is president of Organize Enterprise LLC (www.organizeenter prise.com). She is also author of Organize Your Office for Success.
