How and When to Delegate
Delegating tasks to your employees accomplishes a variety of things. One of which is less work for the supervisor. So why dont we delegate? Is it that supervisors dont know how to delegate work or could it be that there are different reasons why supervisors dont delegate work to their employees. The answer is simple, supervisors tend to think they can do it better or the employee may make a mistake or even worse the employee may do a good job and the supervisor may feel threatened. Well being a good supervisor is largely about knowing how to delegate work. Yes, they may make a mistake, which is part of the learning process. That being the case carefully choose the work you delegate. Dont give them the critical tasks that could have harsh consequences if not properly done. By knowing how to delegate work you are able to build trust among your employees. They feel they are able to assist you in important day to day issues. Delegating is a way to grow and mature employees. How are you ever going to know their potential if you dont test the waters every now and then.
At first you may run into some resistance when trying to delegate tasks. Reasons for this include fear, lack of time, and lack of supervisor feedback. Get around many of these issues by delegating to the others strengths; dont set them up to fail. If they dont have time to do the task, make the time. Provide them feedback when needed. Eventually they will feel more comfortable with the tasks and may require less feedback from you.
When you delegate be sure to pick the right person for the job. Describe to them the desired results and give them a detailed description of the task and answer any questions they may have. If you feel they are not certain they completely comprehend the task, inquire from them how they plan on getting the job done? If their answer is way off base step back and give them more information and supervision. If their answer is moderate then let them run with it for a while and they may find that they need more guidance. Let them come to you and ask questions. If progress is not being made you may need to step in and provide some guidance. If they answer correctly, there is no need for more definition, let them run with it.
Along with knowing how to delegate work you need to know what type of work can be delegated. When deciding whether or not to delegate a task consider the following. Can they do it better than you can? If so delegate. If not still consider delegating. This is a good opportunity to start building independence. Can they do the task instead of you? If so delegate. As a supervisor you already have a full plate. Delegate when you can. Can they do the task at less of a cost than you? What I mean here is how much do you make an hour? Now consider how much one of your employees makes an hour. Should you spend your time doing work that they could be doing at a lower cost per hour? Probably not. If your employee can do the task more efficiently than you, delegate. Lastly, delegate when you see an opportunity for growing and adding perspective for your employees.
In conclusion I should mention when not to delegate work. There are certain tasks that should not be delegated to your team members. Dont delegate when the task is confidential, personal, routine, and there is no opportunity for the employee to learn.
As a supervisor you want to grow your employees. You want to build confidence and independence in them. Knowing how to delegate work can help accomplish this. Involve your team members as much as you can. Watch out for over-whelming them and dont give them too much work. Remember, most people see an accident waiting to happen. This means that they will most likely complain about being over worked when they see the potential of being over worked. So when they complain they have to much work they probably have time for just a bit more. Still be mindful of how much work you are delegating and dont forget to encourage and compliment your employees for their efforts.
Jason Deines writes for an informational website, MyInfoSource.biz. Visit MyInfoSource for additional information on How to Supervise People
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