You’re delegating tasks to a new team. How can you make sure they deliver?

1 Define the scope

Before you assign any tasks, make sure you have a clear and realistic scope for your project. What are the goals, objectives, deliverables, and deadlines? What are the constraints, risks, and assumptions? How will you measure and evaluate the outcomes? Communicate the scope to your team and get their feedback and buy-in. This will help them align their work with the project vision and avoid scope creep.

2 Choose the right tasks

Not all tasks are suitable for delegation. Some may require your expertise, authority, or judgment, while others may be too simple, routine, or confidential. To decide which tasks to delegate, consider the following factors: the complexity, urgency, and importance of the task; the skills, experience, and availability of your team members; the potential for learning and development; and the impact on the project and the stakeholders. Delegate tasks that are challenging, meaningful, and relevant for your team, and keep tasks that are critical, strategic, or sensitive for yourself.

3 Assign the right people

Once you have identified the tasks to delegate, you need to choose the right people to perform them. This requires matching the task requirements with the team members' competencies, interests, and preferences. You can use various tools and methods to assess your team's skills and strengths, such as self-reports, peer reviews, performance appraisals, or skill matrices. You can also ask your team members what tasks they would like to take on, what skills they want to improve, and what challenges they face. Assign tasks that suit your team members' abilities and aspirations, and provide them with opportunities for growth and feedback.

4 Provide clear instructions

When you delegate a task, you need to provide clear and specific instructions to your team members. This includes defining the task scope, objectives, expectations, and standards; explaining the task rationale, relevance, and benefits; outlining the task process, methods, and tools; setting the task deadlines, milestones, and deliverables; and establishing the task roles, responsibilities, and accountabilities. You also need to clarify the level of authority and autonomy your team members have, and the degree of support and supervision you will provide. Make sure your instructions are consistent, concise, and comprehensible, and confirm your team members' understanding and agreement.

5 Monitor the progress

Delegating a task does not mean abdicating your responsibility for it. You still need to monitor the progress and performance of your team members, and provide them with guidance and feedback. However, you should avoid micromanaging or interfering with their work, as this can undermine their confidence and motivation. Instead, you should adopt a coaching approach, where you ask open-ended questions, listen actively, offer suggestions, and acknowledge achievements. You should also establish regular check-ins, updates, and reports, and use appropriate tools and metrics to track and measure the results.

6 Evaluate the outcomes

The final step of delegation is to evaluate the outcomes and outcomes of the task, and review the lessons learned and the best practices. You should compare the actual results with the expected results, and identify the gaps, errors, and areas for improvement. You should also solicit feedback from your team members, and recognize their efforts and contributions. You should celebrate the successes, and address the failures constructively. You should also document the findings and recommendations, and share them with your team and the stakeholders. This will help you improve your delegation skills and your team's performance.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?