Work has been ever so productive and busy and I am learning that the busier I get the better I have to become at delegating – because what people don’t tell you about delegation is that there is a method to it! No sense in requesting someone to do something who doesn’t have the skills or the tools, right? You would think that would be common sense – but NO, when you go through it, is when you learn – It’s easy for us to tell people to delegate but a lot harder to understand what really needs to go on for us to delegate efficiently!
This morning I wished to share with you a few tips on HOW to delegate
- Ensure that the person has the technical skills to do the Job you wish them to do- i.e can they use the software lets say Tally if it’s an accountant and do they have a natural affinity for numbers? You will get better results if the person’s likes are aligned with what the Job demands.
- Be SPECIFIC about the goals you need them to achieve, in what amount of time and HOW you will measure their performance and WHEN.
- Ensure when you are briefing them they have PEN and PAPER and can repeat what you have asked them to do clearly. Too often the people you supervise are afraid of YOU or looking dumb, so will just nod and go along with what you say even if they do not fully comprehend what you are requesting of them.
- Finally – assess their performance regularly and give them feed back! It can be tempting to delegate and say go forth – thou art loosed on the world!
In summary if Delegation seems like work! Yes it is but that’s in the initial period – If you do a good job with the foundation you will soon need to do less and less assessment and checking up!
Good luck!
