Some managers find delegating tasks difficult to do. For most of them, the problem is not with delegating tasks per se; it’s relinquishing responsibilities they’re having issues with. However, it’s important to note that knowing how to delegate tasks doesn’t have to mean giving everything up or passing the buck, necessarily.
As a manager, it should be your goal to have everyone in your team promoted or moved to other roles within a year of joining your team. There can be no greater testament to your capabilities as a leader and talent developer than when someone in your team is promoted, even when it may be a lateral move. To do this, you can start by giving them responsibilities outside of their normal job description.
This is the first order of business on how to delegate tasks. Even when some of your team members do not have dreams of a promotion right away or ever, and they’re happy to be regular team members for the rest of their stay in the company, you can still delegate responsibilities to them. Demonstrating this level of trust and training them in this manner might encourage them to aim higher and for a better future.
What type of tasks should you delegate?
Before learning about how to delegate tasks, it’s first important to determine which tasks can be delegated to members of your team. Tasks that require special access to tools like quality assessments, issuing corrective actions, and hiring and firing others, and the like. You may, however, always delegate time-consuming, repetitive, or skilled-based tasks. Some examples:
- Data entry such as updating leads in your CRM
- Arranging meetings (sending out invites, reserving the venue and equipment, composing the agenda – with your notes, of course)
- Upkeep of team trackers and other shared documents
- Assignments you may not be too good at like artistic design, minimal coding, or creative writing
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1. Identify their strengths
One of the first things you should do as soon as you get new team members is to have a one on one coaching session with them to find out what their goals in the company are and where they see themselves in a year or six months, even. Their goals then become your goals and part of your job will be supporting their ambition, figuring out and giving them guidance to get them there. The information that you gather from this conversation can also serve as your director for how to delegate tasks to them.
Eventually, through the course of their employment, you’ll get to witness for yourself the areas where they’re good at, their strengths. Make it a part of your plan for how to delegate tasks to identify their fortes, their talents, and interests. Play up their strengths by delegating tasks to them that they can gamely accomplish.
2. Set the grounds
Make it official by setting the ground rules with members of your team before you delegate responsibilities to them. Be sure to sit them down and talk to them about what the task is and what is required of them. Make them realize that you trust them and believe in their abilities enough to know that they can accomplish what you give them. In this sit-down session, define your expectations of them.
Set goals for the given task and responsibility and let them know what your desired outcome is. Document this conversation and get their buy-in by inviting them to sign the meeting notes. Part of how to delegate tasks efficiently as a manager includes creating a sense of accountability while legitimizing the assignment.
3. Stay connected
It’s not about micromanaging but more about letting your team members know that, should they have any questions, concerns, or need for clarifications, they can always reach out to you. It’s the same thing when you want to check on the progress of the task you assigned to them, the quality of the work completed so far as well as the adherence to the set deadline. Part of how to delegate tasks is to communicate at all times, offer them your assistance, should they need it, and assure them that your proverbial door is always open to them.
Some people might find being assigned a specific task a little isolating and your regular check-ins will help make them feel included and looked after. Bitrix24 has exceptional communications tools that you can use to bridge the distance, lend support and encouragement no matter where your team member may be.
4. Know when to step in
Just as managers are hesitant to delegate responsibilities to the people in their team, so are their people when it comes to admitting that they’ve painted themselves into a corner and need help getting out. The trick is not to make them feel they’re being watched all the time but it’s important to know when to offer a hand to them as soon as it becomes apparent that they need it. Part of how to delegate tasks is to be attentive to such things such as slight change in demeanor, uncomfortable silence or a trace of discomfort in their face.
Manage their workloads especially when you know they already have enough on their plate and would not want to overwhelm them. Burnout can defeat the purpose of delegating tasks. Be sensitive both while allowing them to do their thing and finish the task their way and deciding when as well as how to intervene. You want to offer them help without offending.
5. Throw out “perfect”
There’s no such thing as getting it right the first time. Or, at least, getting it perfect the first time. Delegating tasks is a way of training the people who make up your team, to prepare them for the next big thing. Expecting perfection whenever you assign them a task is never a good thing in the grand scheme of things.
Always leave room in your plan for how to delegate tasks for mistakes and allot space in your project timeline for reviews and revisions. Be sure that you explain what you’re doing while you’re doing it and check for understanding. This gives your team great takeaways from their completed tasks.
6. Set them up to succeed
While you’re allowing your team time and room to make mistakes, make sure the person you’re delegating tasks to is up to the challenge. That includes giving them the proper coaching and mentoring as well as the proper access to the tools that they could need. It’s possible that the tools they need for the task are something they’re not familiar with. Provide them with references and resource materials.
Make sure that your knowledge base is updated with all the tips and how-tos. Finally, apart from guaranteeing that tools and resources are available, ensure that they have access to everything.
7. Give specific instructions
Remember that party game where you blindfold a teammate and you have to instruct them to do some things and the first team to complete the task wins? This is what it’s like to delegate responsibilities. Only this time, you won’t have to scream and shout. Be sure to be clear and concise when giving out instructions. Focus on the desired results instead of telling them how you want them to go about completing the task.
Speaking of tasks, Bitrix24 can help you keep your team members aligned with the goals and targets you set for them when delegating responsibilities.
8. Review the output and provide feedback
Once the task is complete, be sure to check the status of the work. Bitrix24 can help you monitor the efficiency of the work that’s being done so you won’t have to worry. Check for quality, completion as well as timeliness. If something needs to be revised or redone, you can return the work to the assigned person so they can complete the revisions. Giving them the chance to revise as needed and make the necessary corrections reinforces the idea that the task is their responsibility.
After all the revisions as done, keep in mind that part of how to delegate tasks is providing feedback. You can choose from the following methods to see which one suits you best: Sandwich – Position the critique between compliments or praises to end the coaching session on a positive note. Funnel – Consists of 5 stages that begins with the outlining of goals and ends with a course of action. Fuel – It’s supposed to be an anagram that spells out F for “frame the conversation”, U for “understand the current state”, E for “explore the desired state” and L for “lay out a success plan”.
9. Celebrate the milestone
There are a few things in this life that feel better than some good old pat on the back with a few exclamations of “Good job!” thrown in. Once a task has been completed and it’s all checked and good to be submitted or delivered, celebrate the milestone. It doesn’t even have to be a grand gesture. Some people appreciate a simple praise, spoken in private. You can, however, make your appreciation known to the rest of the team, or even the company, if you like.
You can highlight the accomplishment in the team’s message board, send a kudo via email and copy your team and higher-ups and you can also take note of that team member the next time you have another task to finish. Create and include a roster of reliable people in your guide for how to delegate tasks.
10. Unpack it all
Once the celebratory dust has settled, conduct another one-on-one coaching session with that member of your team to find out what they have learned in the process, what they would like to do differently the next time, and what they think should change in the overall development of the task. Share your thoughts as well. Present some stats, if necessary, to show them how effective and efficient they’ve been.
Document this coaching just like you did with the initial one to complete the process. Compile everything to be stored in your company’s drive so everyone can access them should they need help on how to delegate tasks.
Delegate tasks as a mentor and manager
Delegating tasks can be a good way to test your team’s capabilities, drive, and determination. You can also test your patience, how much you trust your people, and how much you’re willing to share with everyone else in terms of every item on your task list. It can get daunting and frustrating at times but the rewards far outweigh the headaches along the way.
You will not only have future leaders in the company to nurture and encourage. You will also have a lot more time to do other more important things like guiding the rest of your team to success and becoming more productive contributors in the company. And from there, the cycle just keeps going and going until you have a new team of fresh-faced and bright-eyed new hires.
FAQ
Why is delegation of tasks important?
As a manager, it should be your goal to have everyone in your team promoted or moved to other roles within a year of joining your team. There can be no greater testament to your capabilities as a leader and talent developer than when someone in your team is promoted, even when it may be a lateral move. To do this, you can start by giving them responsibilities outside of their normal job description.
This is the first order of business on how to delegate tasks. Even when some of your team members do not have dreams of a promotion right away or ever, and they’re happy to be regular team members for the rest of their stay in the company, you can still delegate responsibilities to them. Demonstrating this level of trust and training them in this manner might encourage them to aim higher and for a better future.
How do you delegate tasks to your team?
Being able to delegate tasks to your team gives you an opportunity to mentor your team through teachable moments and the only way to delegate tasks to your team is to just do it.
Don’t overthink and don’t micromanage - no matter how difficult it may be, especially at the beginning. Pick out the easiest or simplest tasks to delegate first. These are the ones that do not require access to management files and tools. The more you practice the skill of delegating, the smoother the process will be.
How to Delegate Tasks Efficiently
Delegating tasks and responsibilities to the members of your team does not mean you’re inept. It’s not about surrendering your power or authority either. Delegating tasks can be a powerful way of empowering the people who work with you to perform better, aim higher and achieve greater things in the workplace. When you delegate responsibilities, you give your team an insight into what they can achieve and what they’re capable of.
A simple assignment can do wonders for one’s confidence and the result of their efforts may surprise you. If you want to get started and inspire everyone in your team to explore how effective they can be outside of their usual job functions, this article is for you.