How to Delegate Successfully

Don’t be a boss who dumps and runs!

So, I’ve already talked about why delegation is good for freeing up time and also building team resilience, strengthening dynamics, and increasing job satisfaction.

The question is – how do you go about it?  How do you make sure you delegate rather than dump?  Here’s my ten steps that will make delegating a success for all concerned.

1.  Write a list of all the tasks you do

Grab a cup of coffee and get comfy – this could take a while! Set aside some time just for this purpose.  Get rid of any distractions.  If you’re going to do this properly you need to start as you mean to go on!

Home, work, or both? Go through your work diary for the last month or so, review the family calendar.  Write down absolutely everything you come across, even if you consider it a one-off.   

Big and small tasks.  Ok, so I think you could probably miss off ‘making coffee’, but honestly nothing is too small to get on this list – if it’s something you do, write it down.

Done it?  Is it a long list? Are you amazed by how much you actually do? And I bet for many tasks the few words you’ve written down nowhere near represent the time commitment required to complete it! Perhaps you are starting to realise that delegating some of these might be a good idea?

Just one final thought before you move on – is there anything on the list that no longer adds value?  Double check those jobs you’ve been doing a while – are people using the information you send them, or is it just something they file away?  You might find you can release some valuable time before the delegation process even starts!

2.  Identify routine tasks

Anything you do regularly. Mark up daily, weekly, monthly tasks.  You can use different colours for each if you like!  At this point leave the quarterly or annual tasks – you can review those at a later date.

Anything that doesn’t vary greatly. Now check those where you pretty much do the same thing each time. Always download the same report? Always follow the same process? Generally goes without a hiccup? These are the ones to highlight.

Anything with a clear output. By this I mean any tangible result – clean dishes? Pre-determined dashboard or KPI? That sort of thing.

So now you have a shorter list. If you don’t have a list, then perhaps it might be useful to skip straight to the ‘Barriers to Delegation’ section to check whether you are using some well-rehearsed excuses for not including tasks. This should be the point at which you realise there is potential to delegate and release some of your time.

3.  Can you make a system of it?

Before we move on to actual delegation, now is a good time to review tasks to see if they could be more efficient.  To apply a system. 

Systems don’t have to be complicated, you probably already use many, you just don’t think of it that way.  For example, when getting your breakfast ready do you go to the cupboard and get everything you need in one go, or do you go to the cupboard and get the cereal, then go back later for the coffee, and then go back later for the jam?  They are both systems, but the former is more efficient than the latter!

Automate as much as possible. This might involve setting up a spreadsheet, you don’t necessarily have to do this yourself, you could delegate the setting up to someone else (ironic eh?).  Can existing systems be adapted to include information you need so you don’t have to collect it separately?

Ignore “it’s always been done this way”. Although there is comfort in having a process that works, its not a reason not to review it. There could have been several improvements elsewhere that weren’t around when the task was first completed.  Make sure you are utilising what’s now available.

This stage could actually take a while, once you’ve identified tasks that need a system review make time to review them (or get a fresh pair of eyes to review them) and mark them down as considering for delegation later.  Don’t hold yourself up now by thinking you need to complete the review before moving onto step 4!

4. All or part?

Now you should have a smaller list of routine tasks that are already as efficient as possible.  It’s likely there are some big and some small.  Don’t kid yourself all, or most, of them can be delegated.

You can delegate part. If a task is ‘large’ i.e. made up of several sub-tasks, consider delegating it a bit at a time.  You might delegate the first part, or alternatively the most straightforward part, it doesn’t need to be in order. Look at your list and identify ones that can be delegated in one go, and ones that will be delegated in several parts.

Knowledge or governance may mean you can’t delegate the whole.

There is possibly one excuse for not delegating a task, but even then I’d challenge you.  It may be written into the governance of your organisation that someone at a particular level has to do a specific task.  If you’re the only one at that level, then it’s you.  If there are others at your level you may be able to delegate to a peer.  It may also be possible to delegate upwards (rare but not impossible).  However, my main challenge is that you may still be able to delegate elements of the task, even if you can’t pass on the whole.

5.  Identify someone who could do it

Now you have your list of routine, efficient tasks, and you understand if they can be wholly delegated or only part initially.  Next you need to identify the right person for the job.  Give this some proper consideration – don’t just hand it to the person you think has most time or is least likely to say ‘no’!

It could be a peer with capacity. It may sound strange delegating sideways, but it’s a thing I promise you.  Governance, or restricted access to specific information may restrict who can carry out a task.  It may be something that not all your peers get the opportunity to have a go at, delegating to them will give them a chance to try something new.

Is it a development opportunity? Quite often the task is something that will give one of your team something to try that’s new and challenging.  We should always be on the look out for opportunities to develop our teams. Consider the strengths of your team, who has the right attributes? Ask who might be interested.  Who would enjoy the challenge?

Just remember, not everyone is interested in developing themselves further. For many valid reasons, some members of the team may be entirely happy with what they are doing and don’t want to add something new/different to their workload.

Perhaps pay a professional to do it? Your time has a value – is it really saving money to do it yourself?  Delegation options include paying someone else (most likely a professional) to do it for you. Gardening – love it? Great get on with it, it’s a good use of your time. Hate it? Three options

leave the garden, it’s a wild garden, you’re fine with it looking the way it does,

work in the garden, not enjoying yourself, wishing you were doing something more useful, or

get a professional in to look after it for you. Result, nice garden but you’ve spent time on what’s important to you.

6.  Explain and agree

Now you’ve identified an appropriate delegate…

Let them know why you’re delegating the task…It’s important that the person you are handing the task to understands why you are passing in on – and that you’re not just dumping a job you don’t like!

Be honest, the minimal explanation is that you are very busy, and you’ve reviewed your tasks and this one looks like a good one to pass to someone else because it’s routine and efficient.  You might add that it would be good to have someone else carry it out to see if it could be improved.

…and why they are most suited. It’s perhaps more important to explain why you’ve chosen them.  Because they are good at x, you think they will be good at this.  Because they are known for x.  Because it’s something you think they will find challenging and beneficial to their progression.

And agree it’s now theirs. You need to get their agreement that once the delegation has been completed the task is their responsibility. It’s no use telling someone they now have to do a task. In either situation they will do the task, but by getting their agreement they will own it and take more care over the results.

7.  Boundaries and expectations

You’re now well on your way to delegating your first task!

Be clear about what the task entails…and what it doesn’t. People need to understand what it is you want them to do, vague instructions can lead to them falling down ‘rabbit holes’ or going off at tangents. Ask questions as you outline what’s involved. Explain how the outputs are used, who gets to see them, do they contribute to a bigger process. It really helps to understand where a task fits into the wider operation of the organisation and why, although it may not seem so, it’s important to do it, and do it well.

Clarify what outcomes you expect. Be clear about the end result, including any deadlines.  Share previous outputs as illustrations.  If there’s a specific format explain the reasons for the format – if there aren’t any let them know that if they feel they can make changes to improve things then to go ahead and try.

Don’t direct the ‘how’. Ok, so some of what you delegate is going to be fairly procedural.  With some of your team, or some specific tasks, there may well be a ‘and this is how I’ve always done it’ element.  However, this should be a guide, not a direction. They may initially want to follow the previous process – but give them the freedom to amend this if they find a better way.  A fresh pair of eyes may see something you’ve missed!

8.  Appropriate support

I’m assuming if you’ve got this far you genuinely want to delegate the task, and you want the person you’ve delegated it to succeed. So you need to provide the appropriate support.

Don’t dump and leave. This is most likely to result in failure. When you first delegate, make sure the person has fully understood the task, its boundaries and what your expectations are.

Check that they think they can do it! 

Discuss what they think will be the best way for you to be involved. 

Don’t micromanage! What’s the point of delegating? You may as well do it yourself, and that’s what we’re trying to change.  It suggests control issues, or that perhaps your selected delegate isn’t the right one for the job.  The person carrying out the task will quickly feel de-motivated and that you don’t really trust them to successfully carry out the task.

Agree check-in and monitoring. How are you going to be reassured that everything is going ok?  How are they going to feel supported, without the sense of you peering over their shoulder all the time?

Regular catch ups?

You’ll leave them to it, but be clear they can ask questions any time? 

Do part and then get them to check-in with you?

There are many options – whatever is decided should be agreed by both of you.

9.  Feedback

Maybe whilst they are completing the task, offering reassurance, or providing guidance if they get stuck. As a minimum however, it should be given once the task has been completed.

Once complete let them know how it went, what could be improved and what was great. Perhaps it all went swimmingly – great – let them know.  Discuss whether the same level of support is needed next time round. Perhaps it’s not gone 100% right, but, unless you got the support wrong and it’s gone completely pear shaped, there’s going to be some positive feedback.  Be clear about what went well, and what development you saw. 

Ask them if there’s anything they think didn’t go so well, what would they do to improve next time. If in their opinion everything was great, but you have concerns, discuss the specific elements, explain what (and maybe how) you think it could be improved.

If improvement’s needed, agree the best way to support them next time. You may need to review what level of support is appropriate, not for all but for part of a task when it’s done next time.  Agree this now, don’t wait until just before the task needs doing again. 

Only in extreme circumstances take the task back.  If there were lots of errors, check yourself first!  It doesn’t mean the person isn’t up to the job.  You might have established the wrong level of support, or perhaps the individual was a bit over optimistic about what they could do on their own first time around.  Work on how you can both work together better to make it more successful the second time.

If you take the task back, it will completely de-motivate and disempower the team member and may also cause discomfort across the team.   It will affect you, and your trust in yourself and your ability to delegate.  Allow people to make mistakes, acknowledge them, address them, and move on.

 …and repeat

Congratulations you’ve just successfully delegated your first task – now let’s get cracking on the rest of the list!

Go to the next routine task on your list. Go back to step 5. Cross off the list the task you have just successfully delegated (nice little dopamine hit eh?)

Start the process all over again! Select the next task for delegation.  Follow steps 5 through 9 again.  It will get easier as you delegate more.  Watch that ‘to-do’ list shrink.

Now you can spend more time on what’s most important to you! With the time you’ve just released you can –

do more of what’s important to you (or adds value),

take the opportunity to learn something that will benefit you (and your organisation), or

get a greater grip on your work/life balance!

You might want to consider reviewing those tasks that didn’t make it past step 2. 

Why didn’t you think they belonged on the delegation list?  Perhaps we have a bit of work to do to address some barriers to delegation that are still hanging around.