Responsibilities abound for both company leaders and business owners, often overwhelming. This, however, is the main reason why teams and employees are necessary for an organization to grow. After all, leaders and owners can’t and shouldn’t do everything. It is, therefore, an important skill to learn how to delegate tasks. In fact, according to the Harvard Business Review, great leaders are those who know how to delegate well.
However, it can be challenging to transfer your tasks to people you think may not perform assignments as dedicatedly as you are. Here is where the other benefits of delegation come in. Sure, it can lighten your workload. Delegating tasks, though, is more than that.
As a company leader or business owner, delegating tasks allows you to identify who is suited to manage tasks and projects among your employees. This builds trust and empowers employees, but why?
Why Task Delegation Empowers Workers
When you delegate tasks, you contribute to your team’s professional development. They gain new skills and knowledge. This prepares them for more responsibilities as your business scales.
When you delegate tasks, you show your staff that you trust they can do what they’re tasked to do. You’re showing them that you believe in their abilities. You’re showing them that you respect their judgement.
Doing all of this will increase productivity and employee retention. It will make your employees more committed to helping you reach your business goals.
If you’re ready to learn how to delegate tasks, here are some tips that you can find helpful.
Know When to Delegate
There are different levels of delegation. It depends on workers’ varying degrees of responsibility.
At the basic, it simply involves instructing your employees what to do. It doesn’t mean telling them to “clean this up” or “tidy that room.” You need professional cleaning services for utility tasks. Giving instructions has to be appropriate to your employee’s duties. It should be related to your employee’s job description.
However, the lowest level of delegation offers little empowerment to your employees. What provides the most empowerment is when you assign a project to an employee or handle them the reins to a specific goal or business process.
Establish Expectations and Responsibilities
According to Inc. magazine, you and your staff should agree on what responsibilities are expected of them. The magazine which specialises in providing advice to entrepreneurs, further recommended the use of the MOCHA model when establishing expectations and duties for delegation. It means the following:
M stands for “manager,” which is you. Company leaders and business owners are also considered managers under this model. As the manager, your role is to assign responsibilities to all your subordinates. It’s also your role to hold the owner or executives accountable for all company decisions.
O stands for “owner.” If you’re the owner, you should take responsibility for the failure and success of your business, including the projects and processes it creates.
C stands for “consultant.” This is often a member, or members, of the executive team, providing insights and input that owners need or require before making business decisions.
H stands for “helper.”Many helpers assist with the completion of tasks or projects in an organization. However, they are free from overall responsibilities.
A stands for “approver.” This can either be a manager, an owner, or an executive team member. An approver ensures a project or task is accomplished before the results are launched, released, or forwarded to the following process.
Provide Your Reasons for Delegating Specific Tasks
When you need to delegate a task immediately, explain to the person you’re delegating why you’re assigning a specific task. It would help provide a background for your decision to pass on responsibility.
Explain to people why you decided to choose them specifically for a task. Tell them that you hope to see them grow with the responsibility you’ve given to them. Help them understand that this is an opportunity to gain knowledge, develop new skills, and earn experience.
However, you should also provide the proper instructions and resources when delegating. You shouldn’t just shout out orders. Focus on the results. For example, instead of saying to do this and that, explain to your employee that you need to do this specific task to achieve a result that will benefit a project, a business process, or the business as a whole.
Be a Good Leader, Delegate
Delegating tasks means lightening your workload while granting authority to key people, which maximizes your team’s full potential. It can be challenging to delegate tasks today, but you’ll be better at it with practice. Start delegating with small tasks. Use the tips above to help you do it right.
