Delegating a task to your employee is not an easy thing to do. It is the process of assigning task to the most capable person in the company. So here are some guidelines on how to designate and delegate more effectively:
- When delegating a task keep in mind that delegating is different from assigning someone. Delegating is giving the authority to someone who could do the task; but overall you still control the responsibility.
- Know and determine the results that you want to correct for the completion of task. The employee that you designate should use his or her methods to finish the task.
- Try to know the responsibilities of your employees and determine their responsibilities. Ask your employees and check on them if they understand their task and goals.
- Learn to communicate and define the scope of authority to the employee for delegated task. Be specific of your task. Try to give the employee the authority necessary to accomplish the task but not too much. Also, do set a budgetary limitation.
- Make sure that every employee in the company could understand his or her task and goals. Have the employees repeat back to you his or her task to make sure he absorbed the information well.
- Have a time limit. Tell your employees what portions of work or task you need it to be complete by certain dates. Timeframe must also be very realistic.
- Have a follow up schedule. Monitor your employees and assist them if they have any questions. Try to set up a follow up meeting so that your employees can ask questions. Schedule frequent meetings especially if the tasks are not yet done. However, meetings need not be long but simply go over the specifics.
- Try to avoid “reverse” delegation. When an employee can’t make her task and he or she gives it back to the manager. Don’t accept it unless for extreme cases. Accepting back the task that your employees should have made would lose the opportunity for them to learn. Just stick with your decision and check your employees for the tasks.
Effective delegation is to communicate, understand and discuss properly the designated task and goals. Always be clear with the task.