We all would like more time in the day – time management is one of our most requested courses – but how can we achieve that?
One way is embracing delegation.
Not only does it help us with our time management, it also helps leaders with motiving others, increases productivity and encourages innovation. So lets look at it in more detail:
What Is Delegation?
Put simply, it is giving a task to another person who has the skills and knowledge to complete it. It’s not about dumping work on others you don’t want to do! It is about empowering and trusting them to make decisions and be accountable for the outcome. It is looking at your team and assessing who is the best person for this task in terms of skills and knowledge and also as an opportunity to develop.
Delegation in Leadership
Good leaders understand how important delegation is. It improves productivity, promotes better teamwork, develops employee skills, and fosters a culture of trust and empowerment. It is good for the leaders, as it allows them to focus on more strategic tasks and great for the teams as it helps them learn and grow. It can also improve employee engagement and retention, as staff who feel challenged and trusted are less likely to leave. It is a vital skill for any leader to master and embrace.
How Delegation Helps Time Management
Delegation and time management go hand in hand. By effectively delegating tasks, managers can reduce their workload, prioritise essential tasks, and control their time more efficiently.
The Impact of Delegation on Productivity
Want to achieve more – of course you do, we all do! Well delegation is your new friend as it helps boosts productivity by distributing workload among team members. When we give tasks to individuals with the right skills and knowledge, they can often complete them more efficiently than we can.
This not only reduces our workload, speeds up task completion but also enhances overall team performance. It also helps with employee empowerment and development. When they feel trusted with more responsibility, they feel valued and motivated to perform at their best. This leads to increased productivity and a positive work environment.
How Delegation Frees Up Time for Managers
Managers and leaders are busy juggling many responsibilities including strategy, creative problem–solving and decision–making, being responsible for targets and leading and motivating their teams to achieve the companies strategy and targets. Delegation allows managers to focus on these things and by delegating routine or less critical tasks to the right team members.
Delegation doesn’t just free up managers time it also helps with the teams motivation and collaboration, as team members that are involved in decision–making and problem–solving of a task become more invested in the success of it. Delegation, done the right way really can help promote a culture of shared responsibility and accountability.
Delegation is also a great way to assess the teams capabilities as managers can link it to the opportunity to mentor and coach their team members. By assigning challenging tasks and providing guidance, managers can help develop the skills and capabilities of their employees.
This not only benefits the individual team members but also strengthens the overall team’s capabilities. They key is to effectively delegating tasks, and the reward; reduced workload for managers, empowered team members, better collaboration and professional growth. This ultimately leads to increased productivity, improved team performance, and a more efficient use of time.
The Art of Effective Delegation
You start with clear communication and setting clear expectations, both are crucial for successful delegation. Make sure you provide clear instructions, clear deadlines and be available for support and help throughout the process.
•Which tasks are routine and do not require my direct involvement?
•Which activities are non–strategic and can be handled by someone else?
•Are there any projects that align with the expertise of my team members?
•Are there any tasks which would help develop the skills and knowledge of the team members?
Overcoming Challenges in Delegation
It would be great if every task we delegated went well but sadly that is not always the case. Staff may resist you delegating extra tasks and even if they accept them you may find a lack of accountability in completing the task. So how can we overcome resistance and challenges?
Resistance to delegation can be caused by:
• Fear of failure
• Lack of confidence
• Belief of a lack of ability
• Lack of understanding why you have been assigned the task
The first step to mitigating resistance is to clearly explain why you are delegating the task to them and what is expected.
The next step is to ensure you offer the right support and guidance. Then do they have the right tools to do it? The above 3 things not only helps alleviate concerns but also builds confidence and trust.
Also involving people from the very start and asking for input from team members regarding their preferences and strengths helps them feel valued and motivated to take on delegated tasks.
Ensuring Accountability in Delegation
It is important both parties take some accountability. The manager is accountable to establish a clear framework that includes setting expectations, defining deadlines, providing necessary resources and help/support, and establishing feedback. The individual is also accountable to ensure that tasks are completed effectively and on time.
If we set clear expectations and outcomes this can help to avoid any ambiguity or confusion. We also need to make sure communication is clear, including when the task needs to be completed and to what level. Teams members need to know what is expected of them if we expect them to be accountable for the task completion.
To create a sense of urgency and to help them prioritise their workload managers should clearly communicate not only at the start of a delegated task, but throughout the process.
Don’t delegate and then run! Make sure you check in on a regular basis and give feedback on their progress, provide guidance (if needed) and answer any questions or concerns. But don’t micro manage!
Finally to ensure people are accountable give them the right resources to do the task. Ensure they have access to the right tools, information, and support they need to successfully complete any task delegated to them. Do they need more training, perhaps they need a better budget or to be able to make more decisions, or it may be as simple as assigning a mentor or coach.
Measuring the Success of Delegation
The final stage of delegation is to measure the success to allow for continuous improvement. You can assess the quality of the work, the timescale in which is was completed and the end result or improvement. We can also look at the persons strengths and weaknesses and give feedback to allow for future continuous improvement. We should do this at the end of every task we delegate so people have clear feedback and a chance to improve moving forward.
Watch our YouTube video on How to Delegate Effectively as a Leader here:
If you are interested in Time Management, Delegation or Leadership and Management training please contact Sales Training International on +44 (0) 1704 889325 or email info@salestrainingint.com for more information.
