3 Habits of a Deft Delegator
Tighter budgets and fewer staff means rethinking how we delegate work.
With tighter budgets and fewer staff, we could all benefit from a defter touch in the way we delegate. Here are three habits commonly held by effective delegators.
1) They paint a picture of what success looks like at the end of the project.
When delegating, read the final chapter first. Time may prohibit you from explaining the details of how you would like the plot to be written. However, don’t let that prevent you from giving clear direction on how the story should end.
2) They define deadlines and goals.
Vague requests like, “Can you make that happen?” or orders such as, “Be sure it gets done,” are sorry excuses for delegation. The person to whom you’re delegating should know specifically what must done and exactly when the assignment needs to be finished. For the purposes of accountability, it pays to document deadlines and goals in an email.
3) They provide a compelling reason for the particular delegation.
“Because I said so” may work on your 3-year old, but won’t cut it when dealing with a fellow professional. As the leader, it’s your responsibility to articulate the reasoning behind assigning work to your team. Use delegation as an opportunity to affirm both the person you’re delegating to and the value of the task being delegated.
For instance, you may want to point to the assignee’s:
- Unique skill or giftedness for the job
- Experience and qualifications for the project
- Enjoyment or interest in the work
- Reliability or trustworthiness
Or, you may highlight the task’s:
- Strategic significance
- Potential to bring about growth
- Importance to you personally
