Delegate tasks: A key to effective leadership

Understanding delegation before practicing it

What is delegation?

Delegation is an important leadership competency, but sadly enough, it is often misunderstood. Strictly speaking, delegation is the process of assigning specific responsibilities or tasks to others, while still retaining accountability for the overall outcome. 

It’s not just about giving away work ; it’s about decision-making too! Learning how to delegate starts with identifying the right people for the right tasks and ensuring that the goals and expectations are communicated as clearly as possible. 

Then, it’s also crucial to be able to tell what is delegation and what is just glorified redistribution of tasks. Redistribution implies passing off tasks that you either don’t want to do or don’t have time for, whereas delegation is about empowering team members by giving them opportunities to grow, learn and contribute meaningfully on a professional standpoint.

When you delegate tasks, you’re not just clearing items from your plate. Rather, you are doing your best to engage your team in the leadership process, developing their skills and building trust among your team members. 

Why delegate tasks as a leader?

Why indeed should you delegate tasks? First, it helps you focus on your company’s high-level strategic priorities, freeing you from the intricacies of daily operations. As a leader, your time is best spent on activities that directly impact the direction and success of the organization. You can’t be involved in every task, no matter how efficient you are. Delegation enables you to focus on what matters most while making sure that other responsibilities (which are also very important) are still handled effectively.

Beyond that, delegation paves the way for organizational learning. Indeed, when you delegate tasks, your team members acquire new skills and expertise. They become more competent and confident in handling their responsibilities, which in turn strengthens the organization. Over time, you cultivate a more agile and adaptable team, one that can tackle future challenges with greater ease.

Delegation is also an integral part of building leadership within your team. By giving others responsibilities, you allow them to step into leadership roles themselves. It prepares them for future leadership positions and will ultimately help build business continuity within the organization. At the same time, delegation is good for innovation because it brings up fresh perspectives on tasks: team members might approach a task differently than you would, which leads to creative and even sometimes more efficient solutions.

Lastly, delegation boosts team morale. When team members see that you trust them with important tasks, they feel valued. This leads to higher job satisfaction, increased motivation, and ultimately, better performance. However, if you want to reap all of these boons, you need to learn to delegate strategically: the tasks have to reflect the team’s strengths while not losing sight of the organization’s mission and vision statement.

How to delegate effectively?

Choosing the right tasks to delegate

As we pointed out, the first step is determining which tasks to delegate and which to keep for yourself. Not all tasks are suitable for delegation. For instance, tasks that involve critical decision-making or those that require your own specific expertise should most of the time remain your responsibility. On the other hand, repetitive or administrative tasks, as well as projects that provide learning opportunities fit the perfect profile for delegation.

Then, upon deciding which tasks to delegate, ask yourself:  

• Is this task something that can be done by someone else without significant disruption to the process? 
• Is it a task that would help a team member grow in their role? 

As a whole, remember that delegation should not only be about lessening your workload but also about developing your team and ensuring organizational success. In other words, you need to identify tasks that are both delegable and beneficial for your team’s growth.

Delegating a task to the right person

This is yet another critical step to any effective delegation process. To determine who is best suited for the job, you need to assess each team member’s: 

• Skill set ; 
• interests ;
• current workload. 

Obviously, you want to match the task at hand with someone who has the required skills to complete it successfully. If a team member doesn’t yet have the required skills, you might want to consider the task as an opportunity for their development. However, it’s crucial to provide adequate support and resources in such cases to ensure they will not be overwhelmed by the task.

Don’t forget the already existing workload and distribute tasks equitably. You don’t want to overload any one team member while others remain underutilized. Be mindful of everyone’s workload and capabilities when you choose the right people for the tasks. It’s very worth doing it as they see that you recognize their strengths and are giving them responsibilities that align with their abilities. They will trust you more if you show them empathy.

At the same time, be transparent about why you’re delegating specific tasks. Explain how the task relates to their role and how it fits into the bigger picture. When team members understand the significance of the task, they are more likely to take ownership of it and perform well.

Clarifying expectations and goals

Communication is simply the cornerstone of delegation. After selecting the task and the right person for it, you must clarify expectations and goals. For this, you’ll need to explain: 

• the scope of the task ; 
• the desired outcome ; 
• any deadline. 

Without this clarity, you risk confusion and inefficiency, which would translate as missed deadlines and goals.

It’s also important to set measurable goals so that both you and the team member know what success looks like. You should outline specific milestones or key performance indicators (KPIs) to track progress. Make sure to communicate any constraints, whether they be time, resources or budget, so that your team member can complete the task within the given parameters.

Clear communication not only improves the chances of success but also prevents misunderstandings and mishaps. When team members know exactly what is expected of them, they are better equipped to meet those expectations. Besides, it is always a good thing to have a channel for ongoing communication, where team members can ask their questions and get things straight when they need it.

How can delegating tasks improve you as a manager?

Providing necessary resources and support

Delegating a task doesn’t mean you just abandon it. Once you have delegated a task, it’s within your attributions to provide your team members with the necessary resources and support to succeed. In other words:  

• offering guidance ; 
• giving access to tools or information ; 
• ensuring they have the time and bandwidth to complete the task in a timely manner.

A common mistake would be to delegate a task and then assume your team members will know exactly how to handle it. But even the most capable of them might need direction or clarification along the way. With your support, you help remove obstacles and create an environment where your team can thrive.

Remember: delegation should be seen as an opportunity for organizational learning. Every time a task is delegated and successfully completed, the team learns something new. They may develop new skills, discover more efficient ways to complete tasks or gain insights into the processes. Through this knowledge, everyone grows: both the individuals and the team as a whole, making future delegations smoother and quicker.

Learn to monitor without micro-managing

One of the trickiest aspects of delegation is finding the balance between monitoring progress and micromanaging. It’s natural to want to check in regularly to see whether the task is being completed to your standards. However, over-involvement will undermine the very purpose of delegation. Micromanaging not only frustrates team members but also prevents them from fully owning the task.

Instead, aim for regular but not intrusive check-ins. Set up agreed-upon times for progress updates and allow your team members to work independently between those meeting sessions. This sends the message that you trust them while still ensuring that the task stays on track.

Know how to use feedback and recognition

Incidentally, these check-ins are opportunities to provide constructive feedback. If something isn’t going as planned, address it early with constructive criticism. Feedback should be framed in a way that encourages improvement and learning rather than as punitive. 

After a task is finished, take the time to offer criticism where needed, pointing out what went well and areas for improvement. Performance reviews are a good time for this kind of reflection, but ongoing feedback is equally important. For instance the SBI-feedback approach builds trust and enhances team members’ ability to take on more significant tasks in the future.

Finally, after successful delegation and feedback, you should always show genuine appreciation for the work completed. As a matter of fact, recognition is a powerful motivator. When you delegate a task, and it is completed successfully, acknowledge the effort and results. Show genuine appreciation for the contributions of your team members. This recognition not only reinforces positive behavior but also fosters a sense of pride and ownership in the work. It encourages team members to take on future responsibilities with confidence and enthusiasm.

What you need to keep in mind is that incorporating delegation into your leadership style will help members and team alike to grow. Understand the process, select the right tasks, trust your team members, and you will create an environment where everyone can be the best version of themselves: delegating not only allows you to focus on strategic goals but also empowers your team to develop their skills and contribute more meaningfully. 

At CoachYZ, we think that every team member but also every leader has a true potential they could tap into in order to be the best professional they could ever be. If you share our vision and think you owe it to yourself to unleash this potential, embark on your coaching journey with us!