You’re a manager with too much on your plate. How can you delegate tasks without losing control?

To delegate effectively without losing control, start by identifying tasks that align with your team's strengths and development goals. Clearly communicate each task's objectives, expectations, and deadlines, ensuring you provide the necessary resources and support. Establish regular check-ins to monitor progress, provide feedback, and adjust as needed, without micromanaging. Empower your team by encouraging decision-making within their scope, fostering a sense of ownership and accountability. Recognize and appreciate their efforts and achievements, reinforcing trust and motivation. This approach not only lightens your load but also develops your team's skills and confidence, leading to a more productive and engaged workforce.

I remember once I was in a senior position and seemingly small tasks with minimal risk were taking way too long to get done. At the time, the CEO of the company had to approve every social media post before it went live. Needless to say, I was shocked when I found this out. Things were getting unnecessarily bottlenecked and I realized this leader was suffering from a common issue - an inability to give up “control” or delegate, but the result was actually hurting the business, disempowering people and wasting the CEOs precious time. The point? Identify tasks that you do not need to be doing, empower your employees to make decisions and give them those opportunities to grow. You’ll likely end being more “in control” and managing effectively.

In the body of your email, lay out your expectations, including a deadline. Along with excellent communication and clear expectations, valuable delegation skills include providing support and following up. Always let your team know when they do a good job and thank them.

Here are some tips on how to choose the right people for task delegation: - Understand Your Team Members' Strengths and Skills - Consider thier Workload and Availability - Assess their Interest and Motivation to take on additional responsibilities. This can lead to higher engagement and better outcomes. - Communicate Clearly the OKR, expectations, and deadlines associated - Encourage Development - This can help in their skill-building and career advancement. - Monitor Progress and Provide Feedback - Celebrate Success and Learn from Mistakes By considering these factors and effectively delegating tasks to the right people on your team, you can empower your team members, improve efficiency, and achieve better results collectively.

When delegating tasks I find the most effective way is by assigning tasks to team members whose strengths fit the task the best. I also like to pair up employees to work on a task with someone whose strengths fit the task and someone whose task fits one of their areas of improvement. This has been an effective strategy for me for some time and I find that if it is one of their strengths they tend to enjoy the task more and in turn provide a high-quality product.

I’ve always identified who is desiring more work but that also could potentially utilize a break in some how. Burn out is real at work and additional work can be awarded by allowing the team members to step away from their day to day. If someone wants to move up I will consider that as well since to get exposure you must allow one to be exposed in ways that are acceptable.

While delegation is the first step, review is the key to successful completion of tasks. You need to guide and coach your team members to effectively deliver the tasks. This can become a great learning opportunity which will help you in the future. Review and provide constructive feedback along with the path forward. Monitoring if the feedback is implemented is essential.

Choose the right people for the respective tasks and direct them properly at the beginning to avoid iterations. Trust your team and give them the liberty to think and execute. Keep a check on them & see if they need help, anyways they too must have some ongoing tasks! Clarity is the key in such situations, imagine you are being misguided in the beginning and then made to rework thrice 🙃 Quick deliverables require clear direction 😁

Remember that one person can’t do everything and oftentimes, a sign of a poor manager is one who cannot delegate or feels the need to control everything. Make sure to TRUST your team and give them room to fail and learn and grow. You will likely reduce your own stress, expand the skills of others, have a happier team and be a more effective manager when you can master the art of delegation.