3 Tips for Delegating Work Effectively
We're entrepreneurs and small business owners for a reason -- we think we can do it better than anyone else. But that doesn't mean we can do it all, and there are some cases where it's necessary to delegate planning, authority, and action to your employees.
It may not be easy, but there are ways to make delegating at work more effective. Here are three of them:
1. Creation
In many cases, it helps to work backwards from your ultimate objective. What do you want to accomplish? Who is best positioned to assist you in getting there? What tools and authority do they need to succeed?
Creating a roadmap to your business destination, before you leave the garage, will create a path for your team, help identify possible assets and blockers, and make sure everyone stays on the same course.
2. Clarity
Your employees should always know exactly what is expected of them, especially when you're handing off important responsibilities. Make sure your staff knows what tasks you're asking them to perform, and how their performance will be judged. Lay out specific goals and markers that are relevant, measurable, and, most of all, attainable.
Encourage your team to ask questions before the project begins, so everyone is on the same page from the start. And make sure the employees you're delegating to acknowledge their understanding of the end goal, and their individual roles in getting there.
3. Congratulations
Everyone wants to be rewarded for hard work. And when you're asking for others' help (which is a big part of delegation), those that help want to be recognized. So establish a system to honor your team, both at the finish and at specific benchmarks along the way.
Whether you also want to have negative consequences for poor performance is up to you, but outlining the rewards system prior to starting the project tends to aid in motivating your staff.
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