Introduction[b][/b]

Delegation is one of the most underrated leadership skills that entrepreneurs and leaders credit their success to. And as Richard Branson puts it, "If you really want to grow as an entrepreneur, you've got to learn to delegate."

Delegation is crucial to effective management. Busy managers would always have so much to do and constraints of time - in some cases requisite expertise -may be inadequate. Delegate well, the manager is able to achieve so much within the time and knowledge constraints she has. Where not done or inappropriately done, undesirable consequences follow.

Delegation is not about allocating uninteresting tasks to others, but it is about assigning a job out of the many we have, so they could be completed timely and efficiently. It’s about meeting goals. But perhaps equally important, it is about encouraging people to learn new skills and reach their potential – in the process helping the organisation to grow and the manager being more effective. Remember, it is an indication of greatness when a leader consciously, intentionally and happily enables his employees to achieve and become capable and more productive. As Max de Pree puts it, “The measure of leadership is not the quality of the head, but the tone of the body”.

The desire for certainty and control is deep-seated in most human beings. First, because it feels good to believe we are able to do things without being dependent on others – particularly those we feel are subordinate to us. Second, because we tend to feel highly accomplished when we are able to shape outcomes of events without help from others.

While being in control of “all” things may be a good thing, an efficient manager must be able draw a line, beyond which his propensity for control can make him inefficient and consequently miserable.

Thankfully, delegation is an art. It’s a skill that can be – and should be developed, if lacking.

Benefits of delegating[/color]

Benefits of delegation are numerous.

- Delegation encourages and inspires creativity
- Delegation builds trust within the team/organisation
- Delegation helps in developing people
- Delegation saves time and improves effectiveness
- Delegation motivates and builds morale
- Delegation can lead to better way of doing things
- Delegation frees up time for a manager to do real managerial work – planning, organising and coordinating
- It reduces stress on the leader


Why people find it difficult to delegate[color=#000099]

With these enormous benefits, why does delegation remain one of the more difficult processes in management and leadership to be effectively accomplished? The reasons vary from fear, to ignorance, to distrust and ego.


Impatience and distrust for the process

Some leaders think delegating can be time-consuming. After all, they can get the task done in a few minutes rather than wait for the staff to undergo the learning curve. It often seems quicker to get the job done rather than take time to explain how to do it to someone else and then correct their mistakes after. On the contrary, when done correctly, many leaders are pleasantly surprised by the quality and speed with which the staff has gotten the job done. Truth is, when people know you trust them well enough to delegate an important task, they put their heart into it and it boosts their motivation to get the job done.

Insecurity

Some managers could be insecure in their positions and abilities so much so that they feel constantly threatened by the competence of their subordinates. In these situations, they are apprehensive about delegating tasks to the subordinates for fear of the subordinate taking the shine off them. They feel threatened that by the confidence of an employee who’s quick on the delegated task and delivered efficiently – thinking the employee may take over the role from them or be seen as a more competent staff.

However, acknowledging the competence of a staff in certain regards is a mark of good leadership rather than a weakness. No one is a paragon of universal competence. We must therefore develop trust in the moment and realise that when we willingly give authority, most people are appreciative and tend to return with loyalty.


Being a control freak

Some people just want to be in charge and cannot let go. They constantly feel the need to make themselves indispensable. Such should realise that all leadership is temporary and transient as situations come to an end with time and circumstances.


Reluctance to delegate tasks considered too “weighty”


Some managers are guilty of “excessive empathy”. They are reluctant to delegate to their subordinates certain jobs they consider tedious and would rather do them, even when they are weighed down themselves. Empathy is a good leadership virtue, no doubt. However, when it borders on making a leader ineffective, the lines need be drawn.

Reluctance to give more work to “overworked” staff

Similar to the above point, some leaders would see adding an additional task to the workload of a staff who’s having so much on his table as “inconsiderate”. This may not usually be appropriate. A leader must regularly evaluate the strengths of her staff and determine if there’s a need to reshuffle workloads, and give some of the tasks on his table to some certain staff while re-allocating some they at that moment have to other staff.

Where to start from

Some do not just know when and how to delegate. So, they’d rather do the job themselves.

How to delegate effectively[color=#000099][/color]

Effective delegation requires some planning. To delegate well and achieve results without stress, you need to consider the following.

Planning

Yes, delegation needs to be clearly thought out.

What tasks should I delegate?
Who should I delegate to?
What deliverables do I desire?
Discuss tasks to be delegated and provide guidance

This is where many fail in the process of delegating. Tasks being delegated need to be clearly discussed with the staff. What is to be achieved, the purpose and when it’s desired. The manager also needs to provide guidance on how the task should be accomplished while – and very important – giving room for creativity.

Click to continue reading https://teoaris.com/2024/02/28/how-to-delegate-and-get-desired-results/