NEVER UNDER ESTIMATE THE POWER OF GREAT DELEGATION SKILLS
Successful delegation is a great skill to have. It is extremely important in the efficiency and development of you, your team and ultimately your business.
So what does delegation mean? Delegation is the assigning of responsibility and authority to someone to complete a defined and agreed upon task while you remain in charge and ultimately responsible for its successful completion. If only it where that simple!
Delegating can promote a sense of empowerment in your staff, enabling them to progress and become more committed to their job. It shows them that you have confidence in their abilities.
Get it wrong and it could have a completely negative effect on your workforce.
So what benefits can you gain from delegating?
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Saves time ~ as an employer or manager, you should take time to think about the future goals of your business. By delegating activities that your employees can take over you will give yourself time to focus on building your business. That doesn’t mean asking them to make the tea! By giving responsibility to your employers you will enforce a sense of commitment in them and hopefully job satisfaction.
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Achieve more ~ delegating could relieve some of the stress and pressure of completing every task. It will also give you more time to do your job. Never under-estimate the power of a second pair of eyes, ears and hands when you have a large project to complete. By discussion, delegation and collaboration you may achieve even greater results.
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Development ~ by delegating to your team members, you will teach them valuable skills and make them a more versatile part of the team. It will also enable you to have more time for self-development and prove to your line managers that you have skills to manage your time effectively and that of others.
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Flexibility ~ delegating tasks to your team will increase their skills and make you more flexible as a Company.
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Importance to the Company ~ delegating can promote communication skills and can be a great team builder.Before you delegate to an employee …
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Define the task at hand. Poor definition can lead to unnecessary headaches and issues down the line.
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Discuss the reason for delegation. If we know why we have to do something it takes away the need to second guess.
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Ensure they understand the required outcome and time period. If a task needs completing by Friday then they should know this.
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Be available to provide support and advice. You’ve delegated to someone with less experience than you. More than likely they will have questions.
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Always express appreciation.Finally, never delegate menial tasks without judgement! Yes you are busy, and yes you need a caffeine intake. But remember, if you delegated earlier you would have more time to take a five minute break to pop the kettle on!Very best regards, Gill Arnott