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Using the Power of Other People's Help
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iStockphoto Build a strong and capable team. Do you feel stressed and overloaded? Or like your career is stalled? If so, then you may need to brush up on your delegation skills! If you work on your own, there's only a limited amount that you can do, however hard you work. Afterall, you can only work so many hours in a day, and there are only so many people you can help. And, because the number of people you can help is limited, your success is limited. However, the better you at your job, the more people will expect from you. This can lead to undue pressue and work overload: you can't do everything that everyone wants. And this can leave you feeling stressed, unhappy, and as if you're letting people down. On the positive side, however, you're being given a tremendous opportunity if you can find a way around this limitation. If you can realize this opportunity, you can be genuinely successful! One of the most common ways of overcoming this limitation is to learn how to delegate your work to others. Good delegators are able to build strong and successful teams that are more than capable of meeting the demands of a heavy workload. This is why delegation is such an important skill to learn! Get the Free Newsletter!Learn new career skills every week, plus get a bonus Be a Successful Manager Checklist, free! Read our Privacy Policy Why People Don't DelegateThere are many possible reasons why people might be afraid of handing over tasks or responsibilities: They Are Worried About Dumping Their Work on OthersJust because something is normally a manager's job it doesn’t mean that it can’t be done by others (unless it is a specific role requirement or depends on a particular level of authority). What's important is that the work is completed, not who does it. If team members appear to be too busy, it's worthwhile checking what they are busy with. It could be that they are working on low-priority work, in which case their workload could be rearranged to carry out the delegated task first. Delegation is not trying to make more work for your team, but to distribute it more efficiently so that tasks get allocated according to skills and workloads. If team members understand this, they’ll be happy to contribute to the team effort. They Feel ThreatenedIt is important for those who delegate to understand that they will not be handing over their entire job – just certain tasks. And it is up to them which ones they hand over. Even if they delegate several tasks, the job of a manager will not become redundant. They will still play an important role in supporting and guiding the team and will always remain ultimately responsible for the work. And why worry about someone else doing a task better than you? If they can do it well, all the more reason for giving it to them! The aim is to make your team more efficient and effective – and to give others opportunities to use their skills and develop. They Don’t Want to Lose ControlWhen work is handed over to others, it will take them time to learn how to do it as well as their predecessor. Initially, things will take longer and quality may be reduced. However, with enough support and guidance, these hurdles will quickly be overcome. They Think It Would Be Quicker to Do It ThemselvesEveryone takes time to learn something new. The more support they are given at the outset, the more quickly they will be able to do the work themselves. Those delegating work should ensure that they give clear instructions, and provide plenty of guidance, praise, feedback, and reassurance along the way to build confidence. When to DelegateDelegation is a win-win when done appropriately. However, that does not mean that you can delegate just anything. To determine when delegation is most appropriate there are five key questions you need to ask yourself:
If you can answer "yes" to at least some of the above questions, then it could well be worth delegating this job. That being said, having all these conditions present is no guarantee that the delegated task will be completed successfully either. You also need to consider to whom you will delegate the task and how you will do it. Tip:Other factors that contribute to the delegability of a task include:
The Who and How of DelegatingHaving decided to delegate a task, there are some other factors to consider as well. As you think these through, you can use our free Delegation Log worksheet to keep a record of the tasks you choose to delegate and who you want to delegate them to. To Whom Should You Delegate?The factors to consider here include:
How Should You Delegate?Use the following principles to delegate successfully:
In thoroughly considering these key points prior to and during the delegation process, you will find that you delegate more successfully. Keeping ControlNow, once you have worked through the above steps, make sure you brief your team member appropriately. Take time to explain why they were chosen for the job, what's expected from them during the project, the goals you have for the project, all timelines and deadlines, and the resources on which they can draw. And agree a schedule for checking in with progress updates. Lastly, make sure that the team member knows that you want to know if any problems occur, and that you are available for any questions or guidance needed as the work progresses. As a manager, it's important not to micromanage. However, this doesn't mean that you must abdicate control altogether. In delegating effectively, you have to achieve a careful balance between giving enough space for people to use their abilities to best effect, while still monitoring and supporting closely enough to ensure that the job is done correctly and effectively. The Importance of Full AcceptanceWhen delegated work is delivered back to you, set aside enough time to review it thoroughly. If possible, only accept good quality, complete work. If you accept work that you aren't satisfied with, your team member won't learn how to do the job properly. To make matters worse, you then accept a whole new tranche of work that you will probably need to complete yourself. Not only does this overload you, it means that you don't have the time to do your own job properly. Of course, when good work is returned to you, make sure to both recognize and reward the effort. As a leader, you should compliment members of your team every time you are impressed by what they have done. This effort on your part will go a long way toward building team members' self-confidence and efficiency, both of which will be improved on the next delegated task. Hence, you both win. Key PointsAt first sight, delegation can feel like more hassle than it's worth. However, by delegating effectively, you can expand your team's output and skillset. When you arrange the workload so that you are working on the tasks that have the highest priority for you, and other people are working on meaningful and challenging assignments, you have a recipe for success. To delegate effectively, choose the right tasks to delegate, identify the best people for the job, and support them along the way. Check how effectively you're delegating with our "How Well Do You Delegate?" quiz. Download Worksheet Which of the following is most important when deciding what to delegate?In the context of effective delegation, the first step leaders should take when deciding what to delegate is to identify all their present activities. To maximize the impact of feedback, people should provide feedback to large groups instead of specific individuals.
What is delegation quizlet?Definition of delegation. Process by which responsibility and authority for performing a task is transferred to another individual who accepts that authority and responsibility; delegator remains accountable for the task. Supervision.
Which statement is accurate about effective delegation quizlet?Which statement is accurate about effective delegation? Throughout the delegation process, the manager and the subordinate must work together.
What are the benefits of delegation quizlet?saves time.. increases productivity.. involvement of staff leads to ownership of ideas & shared goals.. increases job satisfaction.. boost in self-esteem & confidence.. cohesion of group members.. opportunity to improve skills.. |