Since the last blog post, you’ve decided to take the plunge and start delegating more effectively. You’re planning the tasks to be delegated and decided who will receive the new assignments, based on skill development or professional development . Good job!
Now that you’ve selected the right person to do the work, it’s time to set expectations. For example, what’s the expected level of quality or quantity? What is expected regarding the completion times or check points for monitoring progress ? What else is needed to be successful?
Discuss how you will monitor the new process or task. It’s important to be available for questions and guidance.
Another way to assure success is to make sure the person has the appropriate tools, information and /or resources. Are they available or how do they find them?
Communication is Key
When possible, walk through a few examples, if applicable. For example, if a person is preparing for an important presentation, do a thorough walk-through a couple days in advance. Make sure the room set up is right, audio visual aids and handouts are ready, and practice the content and flow of the material to be presented.
If the person is going to be preparing a report or compiling information, especially if it’s going to be presented to other people, make sure you touch base with them prior to the due date to assure the quality and content reflect the end result that you want.
Keep the lines of communication open, so any glitches can be detected early so the person can be successful, which means you’ll be successful too.
Empower!
Effective delegation empowers people. It empowers the person to take on more responsibility and it empowers the manager to a higher level of management finesse. Unfortunately, some managers walk away after delegating, and for the other person, it’s sink or swim. Abdication of responsibility is a quick ticket to failure. D’Oh!
Debrief
Depending on the scope of the project or task being delegated it can be a good idea to do a post-task briefing with the person to whom you delegated the task. Good questions to ask are:
- What went well in the process? Always start with this question because it sets a positive tone for the discussion.
- What could have been done differently?
- What can we do in the future to improve the process?
The more you coach and train others, the easier it is to delegate and it will lead to everyone’s success.
Marty Stanley is a national speaker, executive coach and consultant on personal and organizational change. Contact Marty to amp-up your professional or personal or game! 816-695-5453 martystanley@alteringoutcomes.com
