What do you do if you want to advance your career through effective delegation?

John C. Maxwell said it best: "If you want to do a few small things right, do them yourself. If you want to do great things and make a big impact, learn to delegate." If you find yourself leaning towards "It's simpler if I handle it alone." or "I don't trust them.", these beliefs might signal you have a delegation issues! Successful delegation starts with more helpful thoughts like "Delegating helps my team learn (and frees up my time to . . .)." Next, set up a delegation meeting, provide context about the project/task, and clarify expectations so you both walk away with the same understanding of the task to be performed. Be sure to discuss where authority starts and stops, and how you will check in on progress. Ready, set, go delegate!

SWOT Analysis .... It is very important to understand the Strenght an Weakness of your team , in the absence of which there would always be push and pull system of operations.

Delegation fulfills different purposes: - Empowering others to step up and build experiences and skills (in this case it is necessary to effectively grow your team) - Freeing up your time for things that only you can do - it is easy to fill your day with routine tasks, but you as a leader may need to free up time for others - Nobody is perfect - there may be topics that others are more skilled to do than you - being aware of them and delegating them to the right people is a critical skill as a leader

Delegation is a critical skill for career advancement, but it's often misunderstood that the task is being assigned to others. It is trusting your team members to take major and critical tasks to develop them and you should supervise to make sure the mistakes if any are made been rectified and help the team to learn the lesson. Its the task to know each team members’ strengths and weaknesses and identify whom to delgate what type of task so that the team member can be developed. In doing so, you save few hours or days and use that time to do more critical and impactful job. This means every member is doing a higher job value than he is designated to move up the ladder in the career.

Delegation is only effective if you also put forth effort. I once had a boss who delegated everything, did nothing herself, and then took all the credit - that is a fast way to demotivate workers! But if you provide your team autonomy, trust, and freedom, your team can soar through delegation.

In the pursuit of career advancement, excelling in one's current role is crucial, showcasing competence and readiness for greater responsibilities. Maintaining a growth mindset through continuous learning and embracing challenges signals preparedness for higher positions. Effective communication, motivation, and sound decision-making display potential for managerial roles. Being adaptable and flexible in changing circumstances demonstrates the versatility necessary for promotion. Granting team members decision-making authority fosters ownership and accountability. By honing these skills, one can position oneself as a strong candidate for advancement, increasing the likelihood of securing a promotion.

Please remember you can’t do everything you to break down your work into tasks. Look at the ones which are very important and the ones which will have the lowest impact.

As manager one can draw four squares for Urgent Vs Important . All tasks which important but not urgent & require elaborate working like planning or designing, making reports etc are best suited for delegation. It is also gives an opportunity to utilise his leadership skills , strategic thinking which would foster his growth . Even Managers may do critical evaluation of their skills, dependability and capability to work indepently. thus this may help in career planning & sometimes even successors identification. When delegated a task is extremely good signal for the subordinate and as a result they try to do their best, even midnight oil burning or leaving no stone left unturned. Thus managing complex business utilizing staff effectively

There are four major reasons to delegate: for scale, for weakness, for visibility, and for growth. The first two are about you -- you have too much on your plate (scale) or you need someone to do something better than you can (weakness). The other two are about your team member. If you want them to be seen succeeding at something for the benefit of their career (visibility), you'll need to think about a task they are great at that you can delegate. If you want to push them a bit, to give them opportunity to grow (delegating for growth), then you need to be selective on a task they are well-suited for and will likely succeed with but that is just outside their comfort zone. In all cases, set expectations clearly and provide support.

It is an art to understand a colleague, ( his SWOT ) who should be allocated a specific task based on skill, experience and background including personal traits and current workload. such independent assignments help the individual to prepare for better tomorrow. It is over the time clear understanding is developed between the Manger and the member. they should be made to learn from mistakes. Having delegated task clear instructions should be given what is to be done? ( goals) timeframe, it's importance. also mode of monitoring progress needs to be established like weekly reports or briefs, interim drawings etc. today's computer network is ideally suited even to share real time progres, drawings sketches etc.

Accountability is not just about tracking progress; it's a foundational principle that drives team success and individual growth. In my practice, I emphasize asking insightful questions rather than just dispensing advice. This approach not only holds team members accountable but also fosters an environment of trust and continuous development. By encouraging team members to explore solutions themselves, we empower them to own their outcomes and learn from each experience. This method transforms accountability into a powerful tool for fostering innovation and excellence in execution.

Effective delegation is key to advancing your career. By providing support, guidance, and feedback to your team, you empower them to thrive while lightening your workload, fostering their development, and paving the way for your advancement.

Empowering and support will ensure continuing build up of trust- yours in your team that they can deliver and your team's in knowing you have their back. It's important to approach it with a lens of "how can support without judgement?" instead of "I wish I'd done it myself because he/ she is incompetent". Initial clarity on expectations allows for better support. More trust allows for impactful empowering. As you delegate more and more, your development as a leader is more meaningful and you are able to focus on projects that are beneficial for you, your team, and the organization!

Having delegated the responsibility one has to access the allocation of additional resources ( including manpower ) training or skill development. One has to mentor the team towards objectives of the task. In fact they are so elated that they would work hard and smart to prove their metal. It is a way of grooming younger generation and preparing for tomorrow at elevated positions. One of the important aspect is person selected should have some personal qualities like Leadership, effective communication, an explorer & innovator with positive mind set. in fact the personal qualities many a times out play professional abilities. also, when the chips are down, the whole control has to be assumed protecting the member.

To catapult your career, mastering the art of delegation is critical. It's not just about offloading tasks; it's about empowering your team. Identify tasks that align with your team's strengths, fostering growth and efficiency. Clear communication of expectations and outcomes is crucial. Effective delegation is a win-win: it frees up your time for strategic pursuits while nurturing a skilled, autonomous team.

Delegation is the art of not deleting your responsibility as a leader by just delegating but being a CATALYST to your subordinates by identifying their strengths, coaching & empowering them to take accountability & decisions for assigned tasks & trusting them completely while keeping an eye on the progress. A PREREQUISITE to an effective delegation that I often encounter with the leaders is their own level of trust, risk appetite, foresight to anticipate what's coming next - people & task level, & proactive planning to give time for errors if any. They are PROACTIVE in providing relevant learning & support, asking questions that provoke innovative ideas from others & have robust tracking & feedforward to ensure they collectively succeed

Advance your career through effective delegation by mastering the art of task distribution. Clearly define objectives, provide necessary resources, and delegate tasks matching team members' skills. Maintain open communication, offer guidance when needed, and provide recognition for successful outcomes. Cultivate trust by empowering team members and promoting autonomy within defined parameters.

I would like to site an example of SLV 3 failure, which was owned up by ISRO Chairman Dr satish Dhawan in a press conference and stated that scientists have worked hard to come to this stage and probably they need more support .When the next launch had gone successful the full credit was given to the mission Director. It is important to understand that responsibility rests with self in spite of delegation and people must be protected. On other had the success needs to be credited to them . this is most crucial part of delegation to understand & effectively exploit for organisational effectiveness and Development of people.

One rare but highly effective approach to advancing your career through delegation is "reverse delegation". This involves empowering your team members to delegate back tasks or decisions to you when they encounter challenges beyond their expertise or capacity. It requires a high level of trust, communication, and humility, as it acknowledges that leadership doesn't have all the answers and values the input and judgment of team members. Reverse delegation fosters a culture of collaboration, continuous learning, and shared responsibility, ultimately leading to more innovative solutions and stronger team cohesion.