HOW TO DELEGATE EFFECTIVELY AT THE WORKPLACE

delegation

In today’s competitive business environment, one of the most crucial and challenging tasks for managers and supervisors are to apportion work among the employees they manage and supervise. A lot of managers and supervisors frequently complain that they have too much to do and too little time in which to do it. However, the old adage “If you want something done right, do it yourself" prevents managers from delegating. Managers should delegate work not to just relieve their workload, but to allow the employees they supervise to grow professionally.

In this post I intend sharing with your some basic guidelines to help you delegate effectively at your workplace.Are you ready? I am too, so let’s get going!

•     Ascertain  which task you want to delegate

 It is important to first determine what you are going to delegate. Then take the time to plan on what it is you want to delegate and why you want to delegate that specific task. In addition, find out how you are going to present the task to your employee; include your requirements, parameters, checkpoints and expectations.

• Select the right person

Asses the skills and experience of your employees as objectively as possible and select the right person or team for the assignment. Personally, I believe employees who are creative and self motivated enough to work without you constantly looking over their shoulder and giving instructions are the preferred choice. 

•    Clarify the Expected Outcome

Give an overview of the assignment including the importance of the assignment and why you have chosen the employee for the job. In addition, determine the results you consider necessary for successful completion of the task

•   Give the subordinate time and space to complete the task

Delegating a task to a subordinate place enough trust in him to execute the task. As much as possible, avoid constantly jumping back in to check on how things are going. Give the person room to be able to successfully complete their assignment, and remember, while there is an agreed upon goal, they don’t have to get there exactly how you would get there. Let them do things in their own way; it shows that you trust their ability to make the right decision and it increases the morale of the subordinate.

• Undertake Periodic Follow-Ups

Schedule a series of follow-up meetings. This is not necessarily to stick your nose in what they’re doing. Periodic follow ups enable subordinate to raise questions and concerns that need to be addressed .It also enables the manager or the supervisor to monitor progress and determine the need for assistance.

What Next?

Managers and supervisors need to learn how to delegate effectively at the workplace because delegating grooms your successor so that you can move on to bigger and better things. Often managers and supervisors derail their own advancement by not having someone to take their place don’t let this be you.