Proper Delegation is the Key to Successful Task Completion.
As a leader, you can only develop personally to the extent that you are able to delegate tasks to your employees. It is important to realize that the number of tasks you can take on is limited, no matter how hard you work. By delegating, you create the time resources to fulfill tasks that only you as a leader can accomplish. Therefore, your first and most important question as a leader is, "What will I no longer do myself from now on?"
In addition to the need for you to create time freedom, task delegation has another advantage, as delegating significant and important tasks to employees always means treating them with appreciation. As a leader, you trust your employees, you believe in them. When you assign tasks to an employee that they can solve, it also fosters the employee's trust in you as a leader. Delegation describes your ability and willingness to hand over tasks, competencies, and responsibilities to others. At the beginning, you delegate simple tasks, such as creating an inventory list. This allows your employee to build self-confidence. If this works well, then you hand over a function. This is then a somewhat more difficult task, such as managing the accounting, for which your employee then also bears responsibility and is in charge. If you are satisfied with the results, then move on to the next level. This involves delegating even larger and more complex tasks, such as fully responsible for finding an external accounting firm as part of a project, for example. So, have employees do tasks first, then functions, and then projects. This allows your employees to prove themselves and improve. Wanting to do everything yourself is the mark of the untalented. "Wanting to do everything yourself is the mark of the untalented," wrote the Austrian writer Richard Schaukal (1874–1942).
Your employees will consider you highly talented in delegating if you keep the following in mind: Delegating, or getting tasks done by other people, sounds like an easy way to avoid having to do anything yourself. This is not the case, or as the English saying goes, "Delegating work works, provided the one delegating works, too." Why me? The right person - The following six steps show you what you need to consider when delegating successfully. The first step is to ask yourself why. Why should you do it? Are you the person who must complete this task? If not, then find the person who can perform this task best. Match the task requirements with your employee's skills and seek the appropriate person for efficiency, preferably at a lower hierarchical level.
Employee selection is the most difficult part of delegation.
If you select the right person, great. But if you choose the wrong person, the responsibility lies with you, not the selected person. Face-to-face conversation and task clarification - In the second step, have a face-to-face conversation with the employee being delegated to. Ensure that they understand the task precisely and know what is expected of them. It is important to provide clear, measurable results and discuss the how, what, and why of the task. Ideally, ask your employee to write down the task during the handover and then read back what they have written to ensure that what your employee has written down is what you delegated to them. This is especially important practice if you have not received the desired results from the employee in the past.
Setting deadlines - In the third step, set deadlines and due dates. Agree with your employee on realistic but rather short deadlines, as overly extended timeframes do not help either the employee or you, and short deadlines can be extended, whereas longer deadlines can usually not be shortened. Clarify what needs to be completed by when, when the project will be finished, and when you will meet for milestone goals. It is important to document the deadlines in writing. Clarifying resources - In the fourth step, clarify with the employee what resources they need, how they can access them, and where they can find replacements if necessary. When delegating a task, it is important to delegate the authority over the necessary resources according to the scope. Inform them of the available resources so that they have a clear understanding of the task parameters. It helps your employee if you introduce them personally to others they will be working with. So, introduce your employee to the two colleagues they will be collaborating with in the future. Hold a brief kick-off meeting and announce to everyone that your designated employee is now responsible for the delegated topic, and ask the two colleagues to support them. This way, the two colleagues will direct their questions to your employee (and not to you) from now on. Additionally, by delegating in this manner, you demonstrate your support for your employee and ensure their support from the other two colleagues.
Handing over the task, no rework - In the fifth step, hand over the entire task. This means handing it over and then not interfering further. Once you have delegated the task, leave the person in peace. Do not take back the task by interfering or reworking aspects. Remember, you have delegated the task. If your employee comes to you for help, you can suggest how you would handle it. Or you can refer them to a contact person. Note: They should contact the contact person, and you are only the guide. Never take back the task. Your employee should feel that it is their own task for which they are solely responsible.
Proper delegation brings success for all parties involved. In this regard, former US President Theodore Roosevelt (1858–1919) said, "To be a good leader, you must have enough sense to pick the right people to do what needs to be done, and enough self-restraint to keep from meddling with them." Agreement on progress reports - The sixth step of effective delegation involves agreeing on progress reports. Agree on when and how often progress reports should be submitted. These are particularly standard when delegating larger tasks or projects. Progress reports serve two purposes: First, you can track the progress of the delegated project or task. Second, the employee knows they are on the right track when you approve their report. Make it clear to your employees that they can speak for themselves with reports (especially since their work cannot speak for itself) to positively highlight themselves. This is good for the promotability of the employees, that is, to position themselves as worthy of promotion. One of your most important tasks as a leader is to empower others to successfully take on tasks. Trust in the person to whom you delegate the task is a prerequisite for successful delegation. The ability to guide, motivate, and empower other people to successfully take on tasks is an essential foundation for your success as an effective leader.
For more information about Matthias Hettl, visit:
http://www.trainers-excellence.de/redner/matthias-hettl.html
Speakers
