The ability able to delegate is one of the most important management skills a team leader can have. When done effectively, it allows your team to maximize capabilities, talents, and skills. Delegating provides both you and your team with an opportunity to increase skills and achieve professional growth.
Here are several steps that leaders can take in order to delegate effectively:
Discuss delegating with your employees
It is important to sit down with your team and provide an overview of the tasks and projects that need to be completed. Determine who has the expertise that would be best suited for the task. It is also a good idea to provide opportunities for employees to volunteer to take on tasks and projects that can help them grow and develop new skills.
Set clear expectations
You can’t assume that your team or employees are going to be able to read your mind and predict what you are looking for. Make sure to set clear expectations and provide instructions to walk them through the delegated project or task. Provide them with a time frame for when you need things completed and give them an opportunity to ask any clarifying questions. Including your expectations and instructions from the beginning will help you avoid miscommunications and allow your employees to execute their tasks more effectively.
Trust your employees
Once you have delegated a task or project, it is important to trust the person that you have assigned to complete it. Allow employees to tackle work in their own way and determine what they feel is the best approach. It is important to check in with them every now and again to make sure things are moving smoothly and let your employees know that you are there for support.
Provide continuous feedback
Make sure to acknowledge your employees when they have done a great job on a task or project and be specific on what you think they excelled at. If there is any room for improvements, take the time to have a two-way conversation with them. While giving feedback to your employees on what can be improved upon is a great learning opportunity for them, it is also important that you give your employees an opportunity to voice what you can do to help them succeed. Leaders also need feedback to help them grow, and learning how you can effectively support your team is extremely valuable.
Being an effective delegator and good leader means seeing the strengths of each team member and providing them with the opportunity to gain new skills, broaden their abilities, and expand their knowledge and expertise.
Contact us at info@kjco.ca for more information on how to delegate effectively.
