The Power of Successful Delegation

There’s little benefit in the mindset of “I can do it myself” or “I don’t have time to get that done.” So how can managers ensure that all of their work is being done effectively, appropriately, and on deadline?

Delegation.

Successful delegation improves trust and fosters cohesion within a team. Delegating helps leaders scale so they can narrow their focus on the things that really require their attention. Team members also benefit; by doing work that’s been delegated to them, they increase their scope and impact within the organization and grow in their careers.

Unfortunately, managers often get stuck when they reason that a colleague isn’t ready to handle the work or that it can be done better if they “just handle it” themselves. However, delegation often is confused with task assignment; successful delegation should have buy-in.

Learning how to effectively delegate is a process that takes effort, both in setting context and in iteration. So, how can managers delegate successfully while focusing on their own professional priorities?

First, they should challenge their assumptions and beliefs on what can be delegated. A useful framework for this is Eisenhower’s “Urgent-Important” matrix, which “helps you decide on and prioritize tasks by urgency and importance, sorting out less urgent and important tasks which you should either delegate or not do at all,” according to Eisenhower.me.

Another strategy is to get good at sending it back. If the efforts of a colleague don’t meet your bar, send the work back to them for revising. This process takes practice, but it will ultimately benefit the end result.

Finally, tools like “Paint Done” help to foster open dialogue to the specifics of what you're delegating so that both you - the manager - and your colleague arrive at an understanding of the work scope.

In a glossary for her book, “Dare to Lead,” Brené Brown describes paint done as “not just assigning a task, but explaining the reason — clarifying how the end product will be used… Sharing the reason for a task helps uncover stealth expectations and stealth intentions, cultivates commitment and contribution, and facilitates growth and learning.”

Effective delegation saves valuable time, fosters professional development for both leaders and team members, equips managers to handle bigger teams and motivates employees to achieve better results.