Quick Links...

• About HRx
• About Arlene
• Consulting Services
• SINGular Celebrations
• HRxaminer
• Speaking/Training

I’ve been researching various management topics for one my training programs and thought I’d share some of my results regarding effective delegation.

Whether you manage 1 employee, 20 employees or 0 employees, many of us struggle with do-it-all-yourself syndrome. No, this syndrome isn’t covered under the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act). But it certainly can get in the way of our effectiveness.

We may reason that delegation takes too much time -- to train, supervise and follow-up on someone else. Or we may not be willing to slow down or able to wait patiently for the results of a new learner. Or you may not even know who to delegate to!

The reality is that most of us have tasks, jobs, responsibilities and assignments that may be more effectively delegated than held onto. My guess is if we did a cost-analysis of the tasks we are performing at our “rate of pay” vs. the cost of delegation, there would be more than a few items moved off our plates.
We need to consciously eliminate our barriers to delegation so we can accomplish not only more work but more meaningful work.

So, what items are delegate-able?

The tasks to delegate should only be SMART tasks. Just like SMART goals, delegated tasks must be Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time-bound. In order for the delegatee to succeed, you must be able to clearly explain the results you need.

The key is to take a critical look at what you’re doing, how your time is spent, then determine what should be delegated.

But selecting the task to delegate isn’t enough. Next, you need to determine who is the best individual or team to delegate the task or project to. And this decision could apply to resources inside or outside your organization.

When delegating internally, delegation becomes an effective developmental tool for your employees. You don’t want to delegate to only one employee. It’s important to spread the “rewards” of receiving a new project or responsibility to a variety of deserving employees. It’s a matter of choosing the right people appropriately to ensure their success and yours.