Top 12 tips for effective delegation

I understand I am not good at everything, which keeps me grounded. That is exactly why I delegate tasks to my team members so that the best minds can work on them.?

Why is Delegation Important?

I have headed marketing teams at several companies, and the job comes with many responsibilities. If I were to do everything by myself, I’d probably be burnt out by the end of the day. Thankfully, I always had a wonderful team, and they do a great job keeping me sane.??

In this article, I describe how I delegate tasks to my team and include a few screenshots from my Notion.??

What Stops People From Delegating Work?

• You worry that it will take much time to explain to someone and make them understand
• You over-value the work’s importance and have a preconceived notion that someone else might not do the job as well as you do
• You feel guilty about assigning tasks to someone already burdened with much work.
• You are not sure who else can do the work
• You want to do most of the work
• You are afraid of delegating and worry about the quality of the work

Benefits of Delegation for Productivity and Team Development

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I might be good at FB ads, but I would be able to manage them better if one more person helped me. This can be extrapolated to a bunch of tasks, right? Knowing what to delegate is crucial, but not everything can be delegated. Some tasks are high-value and require my sole focus and personal attention.?

Before I delegate work to someone, I gauge the implications of delegating it. If another team member has better skills in a particular area, I will gladly give it to them. The result should be good, which is always my responsibility, so I will clearly communicate what I expect from them, as in the screenshot below.?

I have the following six things in mind when I delegate:

• Recurring tasks that are worth delegating to someone else
• If someone from my team has expressed interest in a particular job, I will see if I can delegate it to them. They could be an expert at it or are just trying to hone their skills.
• Work that connects to a team member’s KPIs or goals
• Am I terrible at this? Then delegate
• Is this time-sensitive work that wouldn’t let me complete my deliverables??
• Is it something that I can easily teach someone else to complete??

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Here are some of the factors that I consider to choose the right person to delegate:

• What skills and knowledge does this person already have?
• Do I have the time and resources to train this person?
• What is this person’s preferred working style?
• Would they prefer doing this task?
• Do they align with the work proposed?

The answers to the above questions put me in a place where I can make an informed decision.

Each of the above activities has been assigned to experts in the area.

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One more thing I am extremely clear about while delegating is outlining my expectations. If there is no accountability for how I expect the end result to be, it can turn out to be anything.

In the above screenshot, you will observe that I have clearly defined the project's objectives and target audience.

No matter how experienced the person I am delegating to is, I ensure that the expectations are laid out clearly. They will know the desired outcomes, and I will suggest methods that they can use to achieve them.

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The person I am delegating must have all the resources and necessary training to complete the task successfully. If not, provide them with a way to hone those skills before you can delegate it to them. For example, if a particular task requires expertise in a specific tool they have no idea about, then create a plan to familiarize themselves with that tool.

If they need help with a process or how to create something, direct them to a resource like how I’ve done using the screenshot below:

Below is another example of guiding a team member on the resources they should be using for better results:

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I don’t struggle with this. A little bit of empathy goes a long way. I don’t expect people to drop everything else and immediately do the work I assigned. I take all of their other activities into account before delegating my tasks.

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Remember that you only need to focus on the outcome, not how someone did the work (as long as they followed ethical practices). They don’t have to work according to how you like to work.

When you delegate:

• Don’t spend a lot of time explaining how it should be done
• Give them the freedom to come up with their own ways of completing the work

Below is how I have given my team input on the previous results and the advantages we possess this time.

It will show your trust in their abilities and make them do a stellar job.

Here is another screenshot from a project where I give my team ideas on what needs to be tracked.

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I create a framework where I get details about the progress of the project. If it is a milestone-based task, then the dates for each of the deliverables are known well in advance. Therefore, my reviews will happen even more frequently. I don’t think the policy of “Do it and forget it,” works here. I ensure that I am communicating with my team regularly so that they are also kept accountable.

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My role as a manager or a leader is to ensure that the people I am delegating the task to, have the following: Specific training, resources, and authority to complete the project. I cannot, in good faith, set someone up for failure, while hoping that they do the task without fail. If I delegate wrongly, it will come to bite me because I will have to end up doing the task.

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Once the task is delegated, take a step back and give them the autonomy to complete the work. But do remember that you are responsible for the success of the task. This is where “trust but verify,” becomes crucial. Implement a review cycle or create a follow-up plan where you check about the progress.

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Give your employees the freedom to perform activities the way they want. Don't think that “My way is the only way to get things done.” This attitude doesn’t help anyone, and you will burden yourself with a lot more work than intended. You need to allow for failure, only then will they be open to experimentation and try innovative ideas.

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Apart from monitoring the progress of the project at regular intervals, you also need to incorporate regular feedback. If a task isn’t completed as promised, or if it doesn’t fulfil the criteria, I offer feedback laced with constructive criticism. My criticism is in such a way that they can use the inputs and do their job well the next time, which is visible in the screenshot below.

Here’s another thing that I do. To make sure that I’m doing the job of delegating effectively, I also ask them for their feedback. I asked them if I provided clear instructions and if there was anything I could do to improve.

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While providing feedback and constructive criticism are a must, don’t forget to recognize or reward them for their efforts. Three things happen when I delegate work:

• It gives team members to get involved in specific projects
• They get to learn a new skill or hone their existing one
• They become accountable

But there is one more thing that should happen from my side, isn’t it? I should acknowledge their work and reward them appropriately. Someone from a different team might give me credit for the work as I might be the face of a project, which is exactly why I need to give credit where it is due.

Wrapping Up:

Delegating is tough. You must do it wrongly a few times before getting better at it. That’s how my journey with delegating has been. With time, you will improve, and it will show in your results as a manager/leader.