As action coaches we appreciate just how difficult the working day can become. No matter how hard you work, there’s only a limited amount you can do. A working day only has so many hours and there’s only so much you can fit in. It’s easy to become stressed, overloaded with work and feeling you’re letting everyone down.
Today, we’re going to talk about the important skill of delegating work to others. If you can do this well, you’ll reap the benefits of not only freeing up your own valuable time, but also increase the skill sets of your team and perhaps build greater engagement and stronger working relationships by doing so.
How and when to delegate
We understand that delegating things to colleagues can be risky. We’re putting our reputation on the line, and we have a lot to lose if schedules and deadlines fall behind or high levels of quality aren’t adhered to. There’s a real temptation to fall into the trap of thinking that if you want things done correctly, you’re going to have to do them yourself. Think like this, and you’re going to burn yourself out and pull everyone else down with you.
Firstly, understanding when to delegate is important. Think – is there anyone else who has the expertise to complete the task? Is there time to hand over and explain the job properly? Or will you be adding to someone else’s stress levels and overburdening them?
Also think about how to delegate. Ultimately, the buck does stop with you, so make sure you give clear instructions, timelines, and offer support and guidance if required. Remember – delegation means you’re helping others to grow and develop within the organisation. So choose the right tasks, delegate them to the right people, and you should soon have a recipe for success.
Let’s start delegating
So, let’s put wheels in motion and start delegating. Sit down and plan out ten things you could delegate over the next ten weeks. List ten tasks or activities you currently do which could easily be delegated to someone else. Then start thinking about who you could train to take over these tasks. Think about the strengths of your team, their positive attributes, talents, capabilities, etc – and then take that leap of faith and start delegating those tasks out. You never know, that shy, retiring colleague in the corner might even come up with a super-efficient method of getting a job done! Delegation is a process of learning, trusting and working together.
If you have any questions or would like to know more about how to delegate effectively, please do get in touch.
