If you want it done right, you don’t have to necessarily do it yourself. When and how to delegate

It was Theodore Roosevelt who said “The best executive is the one who has sense enough to pick good men to do what he wants done, and self-restraint enough to keep from meddling with them while they do it”.

Delegation is one of the key skills of management. A successful leader knows how to delegate, when to do it, and which tasks to allocate to others.

When you get it right….

• Your staff will feel more motivated and more self confident. T to do it heir job satisfaction levels will rise, because they will have contributed to solving your problems rather than bringing you theirs
• You will be more productive, and the time you have saved can be spent on the things that you need to do

So, when should you delegate? Do any of the following questions apply to the task you are planning to delegate?

• I don’t have the timeproperly
• There are other things that I should be doing
• The other person is under-occupied at present
• The other person would do it better
• The other person wants to do it
• It makes sense for the other person to do it
• It would help the other person’s development
• It would really test their commitment
• It would help them gain more respect and recognition
• It would demonstrate how much I trust and value them

If any of the above apply then you need to act. The following are some suggestions on how to delegate:

1. Make a plan for the meeting well in advance.
2. Discuss their objectives, as well as your own.
3. Focus on the benefits to the other person, rather than to you.
4. Tell them about the task, how it contributes to corporate goals, and how it fits into the broader scheme of things.
5. Explain why you have selected them. Build their confidence.
6. Give them credit for those past achievements that are relevant to the task you are about to delegate.
7. Talk to them about the task in a positive way.
8. Ask for their opinions, and show respect for those opinions even if you do not agree with them. Explore them.
9. Let them save face if they misunderstand you, or if they say something inappropriate. Get feedback.
10. Let them take ownership of any ideas that you initiate.
11. Be open to suggestions on changing methods.
12. Agree on support, monitoring, standards, and controls.