I have been fortunate throughout my career to work with some great entrepreneurs as well as business executives. Being that I have spent most of my career in companies in the early stage/growth equity stage, I have learned the importance of delegation. Contrary to the belief, this is not the boss having someone do their work for them, as this couldn’t be further from the truth.
I learned early on in my career that no matter how hard I tried, I could not work more than 24 hours in a day, nor could I clone myself. But by trying, I frequently was stressed and felt like I was letting a lot of people down in the process. I then adopted the business philosophy of “in order to grow (the company), I have to let go“. This is where I learned the art of delegation. It all begins with effective communication.
When I delegate a task to somebody, I am certain to layout the parameters of the task, but allow the individual the freedom to reach the goal the best way that works for them. This gives the individual the ability to perform the tasks using their God given talents, and not trying to use my God given talents.
I am then available as a resource to ensure that they stay on target. Periodically through the task, I will “inspect what I expect”. This is not to be confused with micro-managing, yet simply me wanting to ensure that the quality of the work is being completed to my expectation. I am a big believer in this as it takes very little time to check in on a task, and offers the opportunity to get things back on track if needed.
The most important part of delegation is to reward the individual for properly completing the task. In my experience, a simple thank you as gratitude creates a trust bond and demonstrates your appreciation for performing the task. Of course, a monetary thank you is quite effective as well.
Remember even though you delegate a task, it is ultimately the leader who remains accountable for the completion of the task. If you follow the suggestions in this article, you may become more effective in the art of delegation.
If you would like leadership guidance and to learn how to create effective teams, please reach out to me.
