Have you ever tried delegating a responsibility to a member of your leadership team only to not have it go as planned? Where was the breakdown in communication? 

Effectively delegating tasks and authority to another member of your team is an important aspect of being a business owner. Yet how many times have you found yourself bogged down because you don’t have the time to explain the project or task to someone else? 

We all have the same number of hours in a day. Knowing when and how to delegate can dramatically increase your productivity, giving you the freedom to focus your talents on other strategic areas of your business, and make an impact on your bottom-line.   

Consider these phases of ways to delegate effectively:     

1) Prepare with Documentation  
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Your team member can’t deliver what you’ve asked of them if the task delegated isn’t clearly defined. Developing a documented or written out process can serve as a guide for them to thoroughly execute the new responsibility. 

2) Investigate and Assign  
When asking a team member to take on a new job-duty, it helps to consider their personality or work-style. Adjusting the way you communicate the new task can make an impact on how well they understand the new responsibility. Confirming understanding only takes a few seconds to ask, but a critical step in effective delegation. 

3) Let Go…. With Training Wheels  
Once your team member is ready to tackle the new job-duty on their own, how can you be sure they’ve mastered their new task? Do you answer their questions for them or are you encouraging them to make recommendations on their own, then seek your approval? This will build your confidence that they are capable of making the right decisions or let you know if additional training is required. 
 
4) Trust Your Team
The highest level of delegation is when your team member has a full grasp of the situation and can take action. Your role as a trainer may be complete at this point, but your role as a manager remains. Ongoing reporting and communication from your team member will offer you peace of mind and satisfaction knowing those responsibilities are being carried out successfully.   

How do you know if you’ve mastered the art of delegation? If you aren’t completely satisfied with the outcome, consider where you may have missed a step. Investing more time in training upfront will prevent future mistakes while empowering your team members to take on more responsibility in the future.  
 

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