Delegating Effectively

Delegating
I have just been promoted and am working on delegating more to my team. How do I give up the need to control every assignment and trust the job will get done?

Understanding and learning how to effectively delegate is a critical leadership trait that all new managers must hone -- and as quickly as possible!. Notice that I use the word ‘effectively’ because like every other skill, you must learn how to effectively use this one for your maximum advantage. Delegating is extremely important to your success for two main reasons: your own time management, and the development of those for whom you are responsible. For many people, learning to delegate and to let go is a challenge.

Start out with smaller, maybe less important tasks that you feel more comfortable delegating, and that won’t stress you out if they aren’t completed exactly to your satisfaction or on time. When you first begin to delegate, you will likely fight the urge to micro-manage the details and this is where you have to really work on yourself. Set reporting timelines for your subordinates to submit progress updates on specific tasks. Hold regular conference calls with your team so you can gauge the overall progress when you have many things going on at once, which you will as you move up in your responsibilities. As with any new skill you are learning and developing ,there is initial discomfort when you practice it. This is because you are stretching yourself and going out of your normal comfort zone. Discomfort is okay and is to be expected.

Remember back to when you were in an individual contributor role and how you felt when you were given an assignment, especially one that was new to you. You may have been slightly apprehensive but you were most likely proud and rewarded that your boss had the faith and confidence in your abilities to give you such an assignment. This boosted your self-confidence and ability to take on even more responsibilities. This will be what you are doing when you dole out those delegated assignments, not to mention the fact that you are getting the work done through many channels which is great for your overall team development.

Last, and just as important, I suggest you look around at your team and ensure you have the right people in the right job assignments. If you don’t, then make the necessary changes to get the right people in place. This is a mistake that many managers make when they let too much time go by before making what can be tough decisions. Once you do this you should be confident in the fact that your individual team members are more than capable and ready to take on each and every assignment, growing in the process.

Now . . . go delegate one task! Good luck!