How to Delegate Responsibilities

Do you think your office couldn't get by without you? Sorry--wrong
answer. Delegation isn't dumping work on others--it's sharing power
and responsibility by assigning others significant tasks along with the
authority to achieve them. Don't whip yourself into exhaustion: Polish
your delegating skills and make your entire team stronger.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Keep a record for a week of how often you delegate tasks. A low number suggests you should make a conscious effort to delegate more and might indicate that you have difficulty relinquishing control or that you don't trust your people to do a good job. Suppose you come down with a serious illness and cannot come to work--then what? Are your people trained to make the operation fly without you? A good boss sets everyone up for success.

2. Identify tasks to delegate. Define them clearly in your own mind before assigning to others. Map out a flowchart to make sure you've covered the bases (see 9 Organize Your Thoughts).

3. Match subordinates' skills to tasks and make assignments. Explain precisely why you made the assignment choices, always incorporating an element of praise, such as "You're good at details" or "You're tactful with difficult clients."

4. Clarify the nature of the tasks and the expected results. Spending more time on expectations up front will save frustration later. Set clear deadlines for completion so you don't need to constantly ask, "Is it done?" Ask for a report at key stages.

5. Recognize that skillful delegation builds staff proficiency and sends a powerful message that you believe in the people who work for you. As you delegate more, your staff grows more experienced, requiring less briefing and supervision. Best of all, you're boosting their confidence and competence.

Tips & Warnings

• When your staff successfully completes assignments, make sure you share the credit--both upward with your superiors, and downward with those who did the work. Nothing kills morale faster than failing to thank those who worked hard to make something happen.
• Accept that others may take a different approach to tasks than you would, and develop an appreciation for alternate ways of thinking. Let your team members define how they work.
• Have an open-door policy and avoid unpleasant surprises by periodically monitoring progress. As Andrew S. Grove writes in High Output Management, "Delegation without followthrough is abdication."

Who Can Help:

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