How to Delegate effectively!
How to Delegate effectively is a management skill that can pay huge dividends and save thousands of hours along with avoiding associated stress.
You will discover the keys to effective delegation so that you can get more done with less frustration.
In any delegation of task there are a minimum of two people the Delegator (the one giving the task) and the Delegate (the one taking on the task).
Clear and open communication is one of the keys to success when delegating. What you are trying to avoid is too much assumption on either side.
Remember my communication concept #1 – The Brain makes Stuff up!
You want to avoid the chance that either person’s brain is making up too much and filling in too many blanks.
Too much creativity and assumption can lead to the results being dramatically different from what was expected.
Therefore both parties share in the responsibility of clarifying the definition of who, what, where, when, how.
What is left undefined is left up to the brain to make stuff up.
The real secret of how to delegate lies in the four levels of authority being defined.
Are you asking someone to make a Big Mac or are you giving him or her the freedom to do it however they want, or something in between?
The Four Levels of Authority are defined as:
- Do it this way, and only this way.
- Do it this way, and let me know if you have any suggestions.
- Do it how you would like to, but check in with me, and review it with me regularly.
- Just do it anyway you want.
When someone delegates to you – which level do you assume you have?
When you delegate to someone else what level are you giving out?
How does either person know what the other is thinking?
Clarity around the task and timeline combined with the correct level of authority being communicated will dramatically improve the task you are delegating.
Until next time keep Discovering your Natural Abilities!
P.S. Send me an e-mail and tell me your stories about delegation – good or bad!