It’s undeniable that some managers are skeptical about assigning tasks to other workers.
The main reason is that they’re afraid of the delegates failing to complete their work, which can cause an entire project to go wrong. Fortunately, this dilemma is avoidable when you know who and how to delegate.
In this article, we’ll dive deep into who a manager of people should delegate to. We’ll also provide a step-by-step guide to the delegation process to ensure the right people handle your tasks.
To Whom Should a Manager of People Delegate?
A manager of people should delegate tasks to someone with the skills needed. You should also consider their workload, experience, and skill enhancement goals. This way, you can ensure that the tasks you delegate suit their time, capacity, and career objectives.
Knowing who to assign tasks to makes delegation more effective and efficient. It also empowers your team members by allowing them to work on something they are skilled at, which fuels their growth.
On the contrary, you can also assign tasks to someone who doesn’t have the skills or experience for it. However, this only applies when the task is easy to learn and do and when the delegate wants to acquire new skills. For instance, you can delegate a data entry task that is not due for a long time to someone without experience.
Delegation undeniably comes with risks. However, knowing who to assign a task to reduces these risks and ensures your team members are working on something they will benefit from.
Tips for Assigning Tasks to Other Workers
Professional delegation involves knowing who to delegate to and assigning tasks in an organized manner. This ensures that both the delegate and the delegated person see how the task process should proceed, thus preventing inconsistencies.
Here are some tips for assigning tasks to your team members:
1. Learn How to Let Go of Tasks
Some managers don’t want to delegate because they fear their team members will make mistakes. They may also feel responsible for the task and want to complete it well.
If you feel this way about assigning tasks to others, learning to let go of tasks is an essential aspect of delegation. You can start by delegating small tasks and then move on to more significant tasks as you get used to them.
It’s worth noting that delegating without letting go of the task can result in micromanagement. This is because you’ll still feel responsible for the task, causing you to check on their progress constantly.
Find out the other reasons why micromanagement happens.
2. Know What Tasks to Delegate
Some tasks are better done by your team members, while others must be handled alone. So, before delegating tasks, identify whether you’ll achieve better results by giving them to other workers.
If you have recurring tasks, delegating them to someone with a light workload may be better. However, remember that the task should align with their skills and willingness.
3. Learn About Your Team Members’ Strengths
Knowing what your team members are good at allows you to delegate roles that fit them. To discover their strengths, set a 1:1 meeting with your team members. Ask them about their skills and their current career goals.
Once you know your team members well, assigning tasks to them will be easier. You can also show them that the tasks are handled by someone who knows how to work on them.
4. Expect Failure
No one is good at something the first time they do it. So, even if you delegate to someone skillful enough for the task, you should still allow for failure.
It is important to note that your expectation of failure is not because you don’t trust your team members enough. Instead, you allow for failure because you let them experiment with your assigned tasks.
When you allow your team members to approach their tasks differently, you empower them to learn new skills.
5. Offer Support
A task is not entirely out of your hands when you delegate it. While you don’t want to micromanage a worker, you should check on them occasionally. This way, you will know if they’re having a hard time and need your guidance.
Supporting your team members also includes giving them the necessary tools and explaining your desired outcome. If possible, provide them with output examples and walk them through working on the task to set them up for success.
6. Provide Feedback
Providing feedback to your delegates will help them identify which areas they need to improve and which ones they excel at. This gives them the confidence that they are performing well, thus motivating them to do even better.
If you have constructive criticisms about your team members’ output, you should also guide them on improving it.
Delegate Effectively
Now that you know who a manager of people should delegate to, you’ll feel more confident to let go of a task. Doing this will also build your trust in your team members. And once your team sees that you trust them enough to handle important jobs, they will be more engaged with work.
