Effective Delegation in 5 Steps

Delegating is probably one of the easiest yet the hardest task one can ever do when it comes to a work load. The idea is to lessen your work by giving it to a capable individual. Assuming you're their superior, the people doing the dirty work can't really complain. But what happens if you delegate work to your peers, to colleagues? Would you appreciate some extra work from someone who has the same level of expertise as you are or even lower? Would you be willing to share the load without worrying about the quality of their work?

Generally, the answer is no. But when you have no choice and work is just pouring in, here are some tricks on how to delegate as effectively & as efficiently as possible:

1. Determine what to delegate.You're handing out a part of your work and even though someone's doing it for you, at the end of the day, you're still responsible for it. So be clear & specific about the task at hand. Enumerate them and explain it as thoroughly as possible.

2. Choose on whom to delegate. Ask someone who can do the job the way you want it to be done. If not, ask someone who seems capable for the task. Give them the easy ones first then eventually, hand out the difficult tasks. Make sure that person's work load is not that heavy or he'll/she'll have to juggle her responsibilities and your delegated task will probably suffer.

3. Mind your tone. Using authoritative words with a bossy stance might not do the trick. Be as cordial and as amiable as possible and use encouraging, motivating words. They have to know that you trust them to do the right job and that you know they will never let you down. Fluff their egos a bit, tell them they're the best candidate for the task and no one else comes close.

4. Set a time limit. An easy task for you might be hard for others. Tell them straight-away your time-frame. List down the task and ask them how many days would it take for them to finish it. If it'll take a bit longer than you'd expect, figure out their other responsibilities and lay down each others priorities. That way, you both know what task to settle first and what can be done later on.


5. Always follow-up. Monitor the work progress. Ask for an update on a regular basis. But don't follow their work closely or they'll feel uncomfortable and a bit inept. If they seem to struggle on some parts of the task, ask them about it and give them some advice on how it should be done. Better yet, show them how to do it then leave them the rest.

Delegating might seem tricky but its a valuable skill especially for those in a managerial level. Knowing the right way to do it will make your work faster and will allow others to grow professionally.