How to Delegate

A lot of the topics I cover are team-minded. Regardless of our KPIs, we are leaders of people at the end of the day… and leaders have their work cut out for them: Balancing managerial responsibilities with their own workflows, and aiming to be an effective communicator throughout it all. 

But what happens when a manager doesn’t know how to delegate? The responsibilities become even greater.

We often see managers become managers because of their success in being an individual contributor (IC). This is where I come in to help the IC learn how to manage effectively. But let’s pretend I’m not in the picture. What often happens when an IC turns into a manager is that he/she forgets that they are no longer an IC — and they can have a really hard time relinquishing control. 

What’s harder than being responsible for a team? Being responsible for the team and taking on the work of the team. Back to my point about delegation and skill building. 

If you’re drowning in work, here’s a checklist to get you started with delegation:

1) Identify what tasks can be delegated. What’s appropriate to divide among the team? How does this align with their yearly goals? 

2) Choose the right person to manage each task. You must match skill and experience. This provides insight into skill gaps and opportunities for professional development. Seniority may come into play here, too. 

3) Provide a roadmap. What is the project, when must it be done, and how involved will you be? And, perhaps most importantly, what does success look like for completion? 

Having a hard time delegating? Let’s discuss.