5 Ways How to Effectively Delegate and Inspire Your People to be Their Best

“Delegating doesn’t mean passing off work you don’t enjoy, but letting your employees stretch their skills and judgment.”

– Harvey Mackay, businessman, author

Being a ‘boss’ and leading a team is exciting and so was it for my friend, Marie. She found that being a manager was fun at the beginning but not so much later. She often complained “Adam does not get it. He fails to deliver on time.” She was really upset as she could not meet her KPI’s. I got a bit curious and dug a little deeper into the problem to understand what exactly was going on with her delegation. After we spoke in-depth she could figure out what she could do differently. Probably my lengthy questioning and listening helped. ☺ 

Delegation seems to be the easiest and the most obvious thing to do to relieve you of some of the workloads as you grow into a managerial position. Effective delegation helps you focus on things you could do and that matter most to you. But if not done right, it could boomerang as it happened to  Marie.

Here are five steps to effectively delegate and be an inspirational leader –

1. Know what to delegate: Marie knew her goals but was unclear about what she would delegate and what she would do herself. She would rush last-minute work on Adam which was actually not his strength and ultimately tasks would get delayed. Being clear on which tasks only you can do and which ones you need help with help in matching the appropriate skill set for delegation. Marie thought it was a good idea to revisit her drawing board and reconsider which tasks would be the right fit for Adam and determine other support she would need.
2. Be specific: I cannot stress this enough. What is clear to you may not be clear to them. Instead of saying “Complete the presentation for the executive meeting at the earliest” you could say “Complete the presentation with the agenda, progress on key deliverables, risks, and milestones and send it to me for review by X date.” Follow it up by asking “Are you getting me or should I repeat?”
   

   The more specific you are about what needs to be accomplished, the better results you get.

3. Inform about the deadline. If you have done the task yourself you would probably have a good estimate of how much time it takes to complete. Otherwise, get feedback from people who have done the task before. Once you delegate, your team should be fully aware of the deadlines and priority when the task is handed over. This way you’ll be able to measure your team’s productivity and help them resolve any hindrances in accomplishing the task. Marie realized she could have done it better if she had laid down the priorities upfront. When planning, it’s a rule of thumb to keep 80% for planned projects and leave the rest for ad hoc work that may surface later.
4. Show them the Big Picture: Tell them about the big goal. What is the underlying objective of their work? How will their work make a difference to the organization and beyond? On his first day as the CEO of Microsoft, Satya Nadella sent a letter to the employees explaining what drew him to work at the company. He ended his letter with an invitation to each employee to find meaning in their work. In Satya’s words,
   

   “Finally, I truly believe each of us must find meaning in our work. The best work happens when you know it’s not just work, but something that will improve other people’s lives.”

   When employees are able to draw that line of connection between their work and the impact they can create, work suddenly becomes more meaningful to them. It doesn’t overwhelm and burden them. Rather, it becomes a powerful motivational driver. Marie exclaimed that Adam’s face seemed to radiate a bright light when she told him how his work was going to make a difference and impact their customers. Marie showed Adam the purpose behind the action which made him feel part of a bigger cause. This is very powerful stuff.

5. Be supportive: After delegating tasks, check in to see if they understand what is expected from them, if they face any obstacles and provide the best support you can. Many times, people are afraid to speak about the issues they encounter because of the fear of being judged. Have a face to face conversation. Even if the team is remote, we now have video conferencing facilities like Zoom or Skype which I find very useful for meetings. One of the things that work extremely well is starting the check-in meetings with what went well. I follow up with “Tell me if you face any challenges. How can I help you?” You could also say something like “If you are not sure of something please reach out to me.” This way you are demonstrating your support to them. Finally, we talk about what could be done differently in our weekly meetings. 

When Marie made these changes in her delegation style, she started seeing results. One of the things I see where managers fail is when they are not fully present to their team and their needs. It’s crucial to pay attention to your people and show them that this is an opportunity for them to contribute to the bigger picture. Always assure them that you are vested in their success by providing all the support and resources you can.

Your team’s success is your success.

Finally, evaluate the work not the person behind the work. If the work went below from what is expected, ask yourself, “What is it in your capacity that you could do differently?”

Start delegating the right way and take the next step to being an inspirational leader!

Until next… Keep smiling!

Archana