Delegate Effectively for Maximum Results
Sherry Borsheim

This month, don’t get carried away with the notion that you need to do everything yourself. Even though you can create a schedule that even a superhuman couldn’t keep up with, remember your limits and focus on your priorities.

By delegating activities that exceed your limit, or that don’t fit with your focus and priorities, you’ll be much more productive.

If you’re a little leery about delegating projects, you are not alone! Here are some common reasons why some individuals don’t delegate tasks to other.

• A lack of confidence in co-workers (If this is the case, you may need to put in time to train others).
• Feeling that you can do it better yourself (If you are a perfectionist, this might be a difficult challenge to overcome).
• Feeling that you can do it quicker yourself (Think of this as a short-term view).

If you are unsure if an item should be delegated or not, here are a few handy guidelines. Delegate an item if:

• You are not good at doing this and someone else could do it more effectively.
• You can leverage your time better by handing this off to someone else – even if it’s something you enjoy and/or are good at doing.
• You do not enjoy doing the activity.

Here are a few tips for effective delegation:

• Keep a delegation log
• Good delegating is really a stewardship program.
• Explain the task specifically and thoroughly.
• Define the purpose. What are we trying to accomplish? Determine what success looks like so the person has a clear picture of what we are wanting to accomplish.
• Delegate responsibility, not work. Too many managers confuse delegating responsibility with offloading work onto someone else. When assigning a project, allow your employee the freedom to exercise some personal initiative.
• Don't hover. Show confidence in their ability to do the task. Give them freedom to do it their way.
• If HOW it is done is important, give and get feedback about how to do the task.
• Instead of asking, “Do you understand?”, ask questions such as, “Any ideas as to how you’ll proceed?” You’ll get a better sense of whether or not your request was clear.
• Make the delegatee accountable. Establish deadlines.
• What's in it for the delegatee? Recognition, new skills, etc.
• Give positive and corrective feedback. ("Did wells" and "Next Time" - Good work. What do WE need to do to get back on track? or Next time how about doing it this way…)
• Give recognition.

About the Author

Sherry Borsheim, owner of Simply Productive, has been helping people to work smarter, not harder for years. She specializes in resolving paper, time and information management issues. To learn more about eliminating the paper pile-up and in vastly improving your productively, contact Simply Productive at 604-233-7076.