Seven Ways to Dole Out More Work - Learning the art of business delegation
By now, you have probably learned that you cannot "do it all" by yourself. In fact, if you share some of the workload with your staff, you can build morale while you focus on your top priorities. However, delegating work to other personnel is more of an art than a science. The following are seven practical suggestions to observe:
1. Explain your objectives. Initially, employees may be hesitant to change the way they do things, particularly if they have been on the job for a long time. Begin by laying out all the ground rules. This would include which employees will do which jobs, what their goals will be, when assignments are due, how the work will be evaluated, etc. If everyone starts on the same page, the process should go much smoother.
2. Match the jobs to people. Not all employees thrive under a delegation system. The best approach is to begin with employees who have demonstrated the ability to think on their feet. Otherwise, you might end up with an endless stream of people coming to you for help-a sure sign that the delegation process is not working out too well.
3. Give employees some "room" to work. In order for delegation to succeed, you must empower your employees to make their own decisions. Do not make "delegation" just another word for the same old way of doing things.
4. Ask for commitment. In return for receiving greater authority, your employees have to understand that they will now be held more accountable for their decisions. To get this point across, spell out the rewards for those employees who succeed and the repercussions for those who fail.
5. Keep an eye on proceedings. Watch how well your staff is handling the delegation process. But this can be tricky. Reason: If you overdo it, you are back to doing things on your own; too little, and you can lose sight of what your personnel are doing. One idea is to use an assignment book or a computer ledger for tracking without being overbearing.
6. Provide regular evaluations. When a project is completed, set aside some time for analysis. Determine if your goals have been met. If not, explain where the person went wrong and what you expect the next time. Try to offer specific and constructive criticism so that the person can learn from the experience.
7. Know your own limitations. For instance, you would not expect an attorney, accountant or business consultant to know everything there is about running your business, so why would you assume that you know theirs? Be careful where you concentrate your efforts. Do not hesitate to obtain professional advice when it is appropriate.