As a small business manager, you probably have multitudes of tasks to complete and not enough time to do them. Many managers find ways to reduce the amount of work they have by delegating assignments to employees. Successful delegation requires trust and good communication between you, the manager, and the person you choose to delegate work to. These seven steps can help you down the road of successful delegation:
Step 1 — Don’t dump: Think about why you are going to delegate a certain project — Will it improve an employee’s skills? Or will it just save you time? Only delegate tasks that help both you and the person you delegate to.
Good tasks to delegate include routine or sporadic clerical duties; routine minor decision making; answering routine questions; minor staffing problems such as scheduling; anything employees are expected to do when you aren’t in the office; or anything that will help develop employees’ skills for potential promotion.
Step 2 — Write out a job description: Once you have decided what to delegate, spend some time writing out what the assignment is, what the parameters of the duty are (including budget), the deadline and potential resources for help with the task. Give a copy of the job description and parameters to the person to whom you are delegating the task — this minimizes the potential for miscommunication.
Step 3 — Pick the right person: Choosing the right person to delegate to can be difficult. Resist the temptation to delegate to the person you always depend on — instead, assess the ability of other employees and give the task to someone whose skills you want to develop. Only delegate jobs that are good matches for the employees you choose.
Step 4 — What’s in it for them? Spend time reviewing the nature of the task and discuss how the employee you selected will benefit from the job. For example, if you delegate a task that may require an employee to use a spreadsheet program, illustrate how mastering the program will be helpful in the long run.
Explain to the employee why he or she has been chosen to complete the task and where to turn for help.
Invite the person to discuss what approach to take when executing the task. Be sure to answer any questions or address any concerns the person might have.
Step 5 — Encourage your employee: Delegating is not about giving a job to someone and walking away — it requires patience and encouragement. Let this person know that you are available for support and for help when needed.
Step 6 — Follow the progress: Establish checkpoints and deadlines to help monitor the progress of your employee and the project. This way you can help avoid problems before they arise. But give your employee enough leeway to do the job alone.
Step 7 — In the end- don’t forget to reward a job well done.
