Show me a manager who’s stressed, pulled in too many directions, and cranky, and I’ll tell you they are most likely not delegating tasks effectively – or even at all.
Admittedly, many Managers are often not effective delegators. They need to learn how to put aside their pride (or urge to control everything!) and show respect for talented employees by confidently relying on them. Manager delegation strategies are an important skill -- and one that typically needs to be learned!
Often, people don’t delegate because they assume their potential “delegatees” will not live up to expectations. However, if they take the time to know their staff and learn their strengths, savings in time, frustration, and sometimes even dollars and cents can be realized.
Of course, there are several factors to consider before randomly delegating. These include the individual's experience, knowledge, and skills as they apply to the delegated task.
Fortunately, there are behavioral assessment tools that can quickly and accurately provide answers to the above questions. The Omnia® Profile, for example, rates a person’s leadership potential, independence, administrative tendencies, preferred work pace, and comfort dealing with people, among other traits. Many managers learn to rely on such data-based technology to cross-train employees and maximize their full potential within the company.
Think about your needs.
Delegating work tasks can result in greater overall productivity, innovation, smoother operations, and increased morale and teamwork among employees.
Do you want to spend less time mentoring new employees? There’s probably someone already on your team well equipped to take on this duty. The Omnia Profile will rate, among other things, your potential delegatee’s communication style, patience, ability to relay complex information into simpler terms, and the potential to actively listen to others. These are all qualities desirable in those who can successfully mentor fellow employees. Expecting someone with different traits to train and encourage new staff members is unrealistic.
Are you looking to focus more on the big picture and less on details?
At first sight, delegation can feel like more hassle than it's worth. However, by delegating effectively, you can hugely expand the amount of work that you can deliver. When you arrange the workload so you’re working on the highest priority tasks, and other people are working on meaningful and challenging assignments, you have a recipe for success.
To delegate effectively:
By selecting the right member of your team to do this, suddenly you’ll find yourself not pulled in too many directions but with extra time on your hands! There's a lot to this, but you'll achieve so much more once you’ve opened yourself up to the process!
