In a recent conversation with a few friends, we coincidentally discussed the importance of delegation and everyone brought their opinions to the table. And I was asked what delegation means to me, I said “Delegation is getting working done through others in a smart way. Simply put, delegation is force-multiplication” and this instantly led to a spur of questions on which we had a very healthy debate. My friends were curious why I said “delegate smartly” and not “delegate effectively”, the latter is what you commonly hear individuals say often. I responded by stating that I preferred using the keyword “SMART” when it comes to delegation because the definition of smart in itself very well fits the crux of this conversation. By definition, SMART stands for - Specific (What), Measurable (How), Achievable (How), Relevant (Why), and Time-Bound (When).
This article is an attempt at clarifying what I mean by smart delegation that I have laid out using my favorite what, when, why and how methodology that’s analogous to the SMART methodology .
- What and when to delegate (Specific) - A fundamental principle I leverage is the pareto principle (also commonly referred as the 8-20 rule). This principle states that 80% of outcomes (output/results) comes from 20% of causes (inputs). If you know what in the input you own can be delegated, then you are creating maximum value through force-multiplication. Of course, not everything in the 20% can be delegated so you need to be smart about identifying the activities that would qualify for delegation. Let’s take a practical example - You own a repetitive task and want to delegate this because you want someone else to gain new skills. By doing so, not only are you creating an opportunity for that individual to grow but you are automatically creating a mechanism through which you can observe and also learn from this individual. In my experience, a repetitive task I have owned when delegated gets a fresh perspective and creates an unique smart opportunity for both parties (delegator and delegate) to learn.
- Why you need to delegate (Relevant)?- If you are not delegating, then in my opinion you are hoarding. If you don’t delegate, you are not growing nor gaining new skills. Delegation is a smart way of working yourself out of a job function and letting other people on your team take on bigger and better challenges. Working yourself out of a job function doesn’t mean you are losing contro/power nor is a bad reflection of your ownership mentality. It simply is a smart mechanism with which you can take better control over a situation and have trusted individuals whom you can rely on to quickly respond and react to a situation. Delegation creates a win-win for both the parties that are the delegator and delegate. Delegation is an excellent opportunity to build trust, emphasizing on the need of teamwork and collaboration over competition.
- How to delegate (Measurable, Achievable, and Time-bound)?- Smart delegation begins with a clear intent, meaning you should be in a position to explain why you want someone to take on an activity and how it’s going to help them. When you clarify the intent, provide the re-assurance required to help the individual out and where applicable setup the framework for success. Not all the time you need to define the framework for success, but this framework can set the wheels in motion to help the delegate get started. Agree with the delegate the frequency for check-ins and give the space needed for the individual to be successful. Check-in frequently is not the equivalent of micro-manage but rather find out the right balance to do either a formal or informal check-in. Emphasize that the importance of check-ins is to do course correction when required, iterate early and iterate often. Give feedback while it’s fresh to the delegate and also be open to receiving feedback from your delegate. And last of all, throughout this entire stay assertive and continuously reinforce the confidence in your delegate. All of this is a continuous process so be ready to tweak and make adjustments until it’s all done!?
What is your idea about delegation?
If you have thoughts or opinions, please drop a comment!?
