Can I Offer You Some Feedback? - Episode #08
Show Notes:
This week we are talking about one of the hardest things to do as a manager, Delegation. When taking on too many tasks, utilizing this tool will benefit not only managers but the employees and organization as a whole. This allows everyone to learn new skills, build confidence and have increased motivation in the workplace. Benefits will be seen in increased teamwork, productivity and efficiency.
Start by picking the tasks needed and identifying the individuals to complete the assignment. Ensure that everyone understands the responsibilities delegated and most importantly be patient in the process. There may be mistakes along the way, but give this tool another try and reassess for great benefits in the long run. Subscribe today so you never miss an episode!
Below we are offering a transcript of the podcast for accessibility and reference.
Episode #08: Business Bites: Delegation
Welcome to Business Bites. My name is Sara. This is the podcast for busy professionals who want the quick hits of business terminology, historical context, and strategies for integration. Today, we're going to be talking about delegation, otherwise known as one of the hardest things to do as a manager.
When we're thinking about delegation, this is the primary ability for us to be able to help others help us. When we are overburdened with duties or tasks or taking on too much ourselves, we need to be able to utilize delegation as a tool, not only to benefit us, but also the employees that we work with and the organization overall. When employees are being invited into delegation, they're able to learn new skills, build confidence, and have increased motivation in the work. Organizationally, we get the benefit of increased teamwork, productivity, efficiency, and innovation and processes.
One of the things that we think about with delegation is how hard it is to do. And oftentimes some of the things that keep managers from delegating is thinking about how we get recognized for that information. Perhaps we have a desire to control processes or feel that it's easier to just do it ourselves. One of the challenges though is that if we do not delegate other tasks to members on our team, we won't have time to get everything done to the level that it needs to be. When considering what to delegate, it's important to pick the right types of activities. Knowing the specific activities you want to delegate is the first step and then identifying the individuals who are best suited to that work. It's also important to understand how to develop clear communication channels, not only with the individual with whom you are delegating the work to, but also to the other teams that are involved in that work. Everyone needs to understand the responsibilities, not only to who has been delegated the task, but also how that project is going. You may need to provide additional resources or authority levels to the different players in that process.
It's also important to be patient. When we're delegating a task to someone who may have never done a task like that before, it's going to take them time. We need to give them space for failure, allow them to make mistakes, and be patient in the process. While it may be difficult the first few times as that individual is learning the process, it will benefit us in the long run. We're spending the time now to save time later. When we're thinking about delegation, it's important to follow four clear steps. Lay the groundwork, communicate effectively, have a framework for accountability, and understanding what to do when something goes wrong. When we're thinking about that framework, it's again focusing on clarifying the tasks that we want to delegate being very articulate about what are the objectives of those tasks, the milestones in it, and the communication plan. When we're thinking about communicating it effectively, are we meeting with that employee to discuss the whole assignment? Are we confirming their understanding and providing coaching for them to grow forward? When it comes to accountability, have each member of the party clearly articulate what are the due dates, who to come to for help, and what are the milestones in play?
Now, what happens if something goes wrong? Because something always goes wrong. Sometimes your expectations may not have been clear. Sometimes your instructions may not have been clear. Or sometimes you're not recognizing when good work is happening. When one of those situations might happen, open a conversation with the people involved. Start with something that you appreciate about what they've been working on and what has been challenging about this process. Give it another try and see when you can reassess not only your role in this situation but theirs as well. When opening the door for delegation, it again will take more work at the front but will reap benefits in the long term.
This has been Sara with Business Bites. And you can reach me at podcast@mod.network. We would love to hear from you on what other business terminology that you'd like to have bite-sized. As always, give us a quick rating on your platform of choice and share this podcast with a friend.
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