Getting Work Done Through Others: The Power of Delegating

As a leader, you have a lot of responsibility on your shoulders. And the truth is, you can’t do it all, even if you want to. That’s why you have a team. To be a successful leader who constantly looks for ways to innovate and grow your business, you have to increase capacity. Yours and your team’s. So, it’s critical that you leverage your staff and get work done through others. We’ll show you how to use the power of delegating so you can achieve more than you ever thought possible.

Why Delegate

Delegation is the process of assigning tasks on your plate to another person on your team. An often-quoted statistic from the late London Business School professor John Hunt states that only 30% of managers believe they can delegate well; and only a third of them is considered a good delegator by their team. Delegation is a vital management tool that not enough people do well (Mailchimp). You may hesitate to embrace it because you don’t trust your employees, think you’re the only one who can successfully complete the work, or maybe even think it’s not appropriate to delegate work to others. But avoiding that transfer of responsibility can have adverse effects such as:

• When you take on everything all the time, you’ll feel constantly overworked. Your performance will eventually drop off, and you may grow to hate your role.
• Employee Turnover. Delegation helps employees learn new skills and develop in their careers. Without that opportunity, they’re more likely to be dissatisfied, perform poorly, and leave the organization.
• Reduced profits. If you don’t delegate, your company can’t realize its true potential. Diminished productivity means a smaller bottom line and less business growth.

But, when you delegate effectively, you’ll have more time to handle strategic and revenue-generating tasks. Additionally, delegating empowers your team, builds trust, and promotes professional development. And for leaders, it helps you identify who is best suited to tackle tasks or projects.

Managers who get delegation wrong often do so by not making sure the staff member has:

• An understanding of the task
• Knowledge of why the work duty is important
• The required skills to finish the job satisfactorily
• The tools and resources needed
• The support for dealing with any challenges
• The desire to even want to do it

Great managers also use delegation as a way of developing colleagues by making different decisions about what to delegate, who to delegate to, and how to handoff the delegated work (managers.org.uk).

Now that you know why you must delegate, let’s take a closer look at how to do it.

What to Hand Off

To be a successful delegator, you should know what you can, and can’t, hand off. You should always handle hiring, firing, employee reviews, disciplinary actions, and other sensitive personnel matters. But everything else is fair game!

Make a list of everything you do in your role and note which tasks you could delegate. Those items may include:

• Administrative duties
• Research and reporting
• Training junior team members
• Special projects

Of course, what you’re actually able to delegate depends on who’s on your team.

Who to Empower?

With your list of duties in view, think about the employees on your team. What are their strengths and career goals? Could they do any of these items better than you can - or could they learn a lot by taking them on? What is their ability to take on additional work?

When you delegate, you should set your team members up for success by assigning tasks that are challenging but doable. You should also ensure that the added responsibility doesn’t overwhelm them or interfere with their primary job function. The bottom line: believe in your employees’ capabilities and give them manageable opportunities for growth.

Delegating Tips

Here are some delegation best practices:

• Tell your employees exactly what’s expected of them, when the task is due, and why it’s important to the company.
• Give them the necessary resources and authority to get the job done.
• Let them figure out how to complete the work and encourage innovation but have an open door and supply guidance as needed.
• Track their progress and supply regular feedback. Ask them if they have any feedback for you.
• Give your team members time to get better and faster at tasks. They’ll improve with practice.
• Recognize their efforts and achievements. If they do the work, they get the credit.

Bonus tip: If you’re still leery about delegation, you can do it in phases:

1. Have your team member(s) watch you complete a task.
2. Complete the work together.
3. Watch them do the job.
4. Let them fly solo.

The above process takes a while to get through, but it will help you feel more confident that your employee can handle the new responsibility.

How Omnia Can Help

One of the keys to productive delegation is assigning the right responsibilities to the right team members. But, if you’re not completely familiar with each employee’s strengths, that could be a challenge. Don’t worry - Omnia’s behavioral assessment can help.

Quick and easy to take, the assessment dives deep into what makes each member of your workforce tick. You’ll learn what they’re good at, how they approach work, how they like to be recognized, and more. With this insight, doling out assignments will be easier than ever - and the likelihood of success will go way up.

Final Thoughts

There’s no getting around it - you must delegate. When you do it well, you’ll grow as a leader and increase capacity across your team. Your employees’ careers will flourish, and your organization will reach new heights. Think of all the things you can accomplish when you get work done through others and you have more time to think and create. If you need added guidance or to learn more about your team, contact us today!

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