Delegate work effectively

There is an age old adage that says that something that you do not want to be done correctly should be done by you. But if you hold an appointment that requires you to work as a team, this maxim may not be a sensible proposition. You may have several tasks at hand and dependence on subordinates is thus inescapable. 

Delegation is perhaps the hardest job owner-managers have to learn. Regrettably, a large majority of them never do. On the contrary, they remain adamant on handling many details without realizing that they are working themselves into early graves. There are some who subscribe to the idea rather hypocritically and run a one-man show on ground.

Successful delegation of work and responsibilities is contingent on various factors, notable being:

·   Your knowledge of your subordinates:  As a person who is responsible and accountable, you should know everybody down the operational chain. If you have a big section to manage, you must hold a periodic meeting with those under you; besides introducing yourself, you should speak about your objectives. The aim is to gain a firsthand familiarity about everyone’s job profiles and singular abilities. You will thus get acquainted with the existing hierarchy and also get to know about newcomers and novices. Sans this knowledge, you will never be able to delegate judiciously and may end up creating gaffes. Disjointed efforts that will be put in will lead to failure and eventually your collapse.

·   Your appreciation of the assignment:  You may pretend that you know your work, but your subordinates get to know the truth rather fast. And nothing can be more exasperating for them than to have someone not knowing what and how to accomplish things at the helm of affairs. To be able to execute effectual allocation and entrustment of responsibilities, you should yourself be well familiar with the task at hand – in terms of what is required to be done, what it involves and who can be assigned what.    

·   Your communication skills:  Your role as a manager or a section head is no different from a leader. Orders and instructions that originate from you should be succinct and clearly understandable. While certain aspects are best left to the ingenuity of those delegated responsibilities, details where no deviation is acceptable should invariably be provided. There should be no ambiguity and doubts; and it is always better to check the same to ensure that everybody down the chain has understood issues well and are clear about the larger picture as well. Remember that good delegation is responsible delegation and is just as much fortitude as it is awareness and a readiness to go halves.

·   Your ability to set achievable deadlines:  There will always be time limits and cut-off dates. To delegate effectively, you should earmark some cushion time to cater to unforeseen delays. Such delays could be brought about by people falling sick or taking leave to fulfill pressing domestic obligations. It is important that everybody down the chain knows the tightness or broadness of the timeframe and if essential have a backup or stand-in to take on unfinished work.

·   Your availability to your subordinates: It is all about having a productive relationship at your workplace; and they are best brought about by having regular one-to-one contacts. But this may not be always very viable and hence holding periodic meetings is recommended to ensure that everybody is on the same grid. You will automatically be afforded an opportunity to monitor projects without unnecessary lurking around offices and interacting with people in their cabins. A proficient manager need not get into details of everything; if you meet your subordinates periodically, besides getting to know them well; such meetings also serve as natural opportunities to get feedbacks.

Research has shown that employees, who are restrained from playing roles that have a bearing on them, tend to end up becoming disinterested and eventually quit. If you delegate authority to employees, they become more occupied and enthusiastic.  With raised involvement levels, productivity indubitably registers an increase.  But if decide to do everything yourself, implying no delegation to others, rest assured that you are setting yourself up for failure in a very big way.

If you are wondering how to delegate effectively, remember to treat all your juniors with compassion, staying power and revere. After all, it is only treacle that catches flies and lemon juice would not.