Read Time: 4 minutes
If you’ve been hesitating to delegate because you’re unsure of how to approach it, this article was written for you.
In last week’s newsletter, we addressed the mental blocks or concerns preventing many leaders from delegating to the degree they need to.
You now know you need to delegate, and you’re “sorta” ready to try it, but it needs to work for you to stick with it. So this week, we look at the “how” to delegate to set yourself and your team up for success.
Part of delegating properly is delegating to the right team member. When delegating a particular task to a person for the first time OR if they’ve done it before but you always need to rework it, you need to address it with this person.
It is also imperative that a conversation is had about what the final product needs to look like or what it needs to accomplish. As a leader, it is YOUR responsibility to set each of your team members up for success, and that means ensuring they understand exactly what is expected of them, the level of detail required from their work output and that they have all the necessary tools and resources to get there. You know how demoralizing it can be to proudly submit work only to have it dissected and “fixed” by your boss. Don’t be that boss! Hold your team members capable - once you’re both confident expectations are well understood, you can then delegate with ease.
Here’s how to go about delegating:
Set up a 1:1 with that individual - be kind and let them know why you’re meeting ahead of time.
Explain the project/task as well as how important it is to the bigger picture of the team's work.
Focus on their strengths and explain why you’re approaching them for that task. You trust them and you are confident that they will be successful.
If delegating is a completely new concept to you, explain that you are working on your delegation skills - and that you will be there to support them and assure their success. This means you will be there to let them bounce ideas, brainstorm, provide the necessary tools, arrange for training or whatever else they need to succeed. As a leader actively focused on improving your delegating skills, you will hold them capable, and that means letting them do the work (with regular check-ins) and without “fixing” or re-working on your part. This partnership is an integral part of your growth as a leader. Thank them - and apologize ahead of time for perhaps occasionally reverting back to old habits of taking over. Tell them you will need their help to keep you accountable.
Together, decide on a project timeline, and regularly meet on milestones. Immediately insert these dates in both of your calendars. I suggest going a step further and adding details around what the deliverables are.
Together, decide ahead of time what each milestone needs to look like to be considered a success before moving onto the next phase. This means, you describe your vision, then get the team member to reiterate what they understood from your description, using their own words. Adjust as necessary. Use these check-ins for something more than asking “How’s the project going?”. You will almost always get a “good” in response, even though things may be falling apart. To get more out of these check-ins, I recommend asking open-ended questions. These questions require more elaborate answers and are much more likely to give you insight into what’s really going on. For example, you can ask: “What’s working well?” “What’s challenging at the moment?” “What is at risk of falling behind?” “What are your thoughts around getting ahead of this?” “How can I support you?”
Answer any questions they have. Do they have any concerns? Can you help them connect with someone who is knowledgeable in the area and could offer some support? Jumping in to fix, resolve, complete is not always the answer, though it is important that you both feel confident about the path forward before going your separate ways.
Decide how you will celebrate a successful delegation together! This is often a forgotten step yet does so much to build positive and trusting professional relationships with each of your team members.
If you notice that a team member needs more technical training to be more efficient in their work, create the opportunity and space for them to do the learning at work. Pairing this team member with another while they learn or collaborating with them rather than delegating may be valid options until they are skilled enough to be more autonomous.
Are you now ready to snap out of doing things you the old way to bring on the increased productivity and peace of mind that come as a result of excellent delegation skills? Sure, you are!
It will be easier with some team members. If the process still intimidates you, try it with one project, then take a step back to work out what worked well and what didn’t. Chances are, if you execute the steps laid out above, there won’t be much tweaking left to do and your delegation confidence will start to rise.
Whenever you are ready, there are 2 other ways I can help you:
1. If you are still looking to further improve your leadership skills, let me recommend starting with an affordable course:
→ The New Leader’s Survival Guide: Time Management
→ Stand Out From The Rest: Communicate Like An Effective Leader
2. If you are looking for a more customized leadership development experience, leadership coaching may be the better option to get you to your professional development goals faster. Book a complimentary “Discovery Call” to discuss your goals and see if working with a leadership coach might be the way to go.