Jules was an efficient employee, a loving mother, and a caring wife. She was playing all the roles synchronously and perfectly when she was promoted to a managerial post. She worked hard to get there, and she would work diligently to prove she was a worthy candidate; she decided on her first day as the manager.
In the beginning, it seemed like a good idea to take on all the responsibilities of work, but soon it became a challenging job to balance out professional and personal life. All of a sudden, she had a lot on her plate and realized the importance of work delegation.
She started missing some of the family events, dinners, and vacations. The pressure of proving that women can work efficiently became an arduous task for her. The constant nagging inside her stomach to do everything perfectly started hampering her work too.
One of her colleagues noticed the evident frown on her forehead and the missing smile on her face. He showed concern; Jules told him that this was nothing but work, and he understood that she was taking things too seriously. He advised her to delegate some of the tasks to others for her own good.
Jules contemplated and realized that the advice was too good to ignore. She was missing some good moments of her life, and most notably, she was missing a keyword: WORK DELEGATION.
Work delegation is not just putting your work or responsibilities onto others’ shoulders; this is about taking care of the quality of work too. Often, we think that if we delegate work to others, we will be called irresponsible.
Work delegation is a notion often considered an important skill for leaders or managers; however, in every field, it’s a prerequisite for the better management of tasks.
Work delegation is a broad concept, and one needs to understand its effectiveness to reap maximum benefits from it.
Take some weight off of your shoulder ‘through Work Delegation’
The excessive workload can be brutal to your overall mental and physical well-being. Delegating some of the tasks can be a great weight off your shoulders.
Learn to delegate some of your responsibilities to others; it will not only make you feel lighter, but you will also have some time to take care of some of the pressing matters.
While some tasks require only your expertise, others may not. For responsibilities that are outside of your expertise, consider delegating them. A fresh pair of hands with the right skill will not only make the work smooth, but the result will be better as well.
Some tasks are tedious, some are tiny, and some are time-consuming. All these tasks require an enormous amount of time to do; efficiently delegating them can provide you with the relief and spare time to do better planning and management.
Delegate to Motivate
When the leader, manager, or person of higher rank delegates their work to their subordinates, there is a sense of trust and confidence. They indirectly motivate them with the task, and it encourages them to perform better.
The faith of the superiors in the subordinates leads to the development of talent. The psychological effects are also not hidden, as the delegation of work boosts morale and eventually drives them to work harder.
Encourages the circulation of ideas and suggestions
When you delegate the work and keep yourself open to questions, ideas, and suggestions, the team members or the subordinates find you accessible for communication.
The flow of ideas and suggestions is a two-way path, and delegation opens a successful communication pathway. Teams that rely on direct, honest communication often perform better and successfully complete their objectives.
Delegation allows you to have a better insight into the problem from the perspective of your team or subordinate. It gives you knowledge of their capabilities, and it also gives you a better task map as to who to approach for a similar task next time.
The benefits and importance of work delegation are enormous; still, people feel reluctant to delegate more often. Let us discuss some of the qualms that may have been in the back of your mind too.
- Delegation means a loss of control over the tasks. It is the most prominent fear that makes the manager hesitant to delegate.
- Accountability and responsibility The outcome of tasks still resides with the manager or team leader. While delegation gives some relief, it doesn’t scratch the liability if the result goes south. It makes the manager take a step back from delegating the work.
- Delegation comes with mentoring and tutoring. Sometimes delegating a task is not enough; a manager needs to tutor or mentor the team for a particular job. The comparison between time consumption for tutoring and doing it themselves discourages the manager from task delegation.
- Nobody can do it better than me. Self-confidence and self-dependency are strong traits. However, sometimes this goes beyond benefiting those who acquire them. Sometimes it becomes a burden as the person doesn’t let go of the task because of their traits. The strong desire to do everything to perfection gives them some sleepless nights.
Disinclination can vary from person to person, and it can discourage people from delegating; nonetheless, effective delegation can help shed all the hesitations.
Choose the correct option
Well, you might want to pass the baton to the nearest runner; however, that shouldn’t be the case in an effective delegation. The prerequisite is to match the type of work to the correct person. It’s easier done by sitting down with your people, asking them to go through the list of tasks, and voluntarily picking up the work.
Reason for Delegation
It’s a good idea to explain why you are delegating the tasks and emphasize the importance of task delegation. Communicate with them precisely how it’s going to empower them, grow their skills, and make them responsible.
Provide the right RIT
Delegating the task alone is not enough; providing the right resources, instruction, and training is pertinent too. When you are delegating, make sure you are providing them with all the prerequisites. An effective work delegation is incomplete without considering these points.
Don’t leave them in the lurch
Even if you have effectively delegated the tasks, you are not off the hook. Ask them to keep you in the loop, and always make time to look after the progress of the work. It’s not only the result that is your concern; the process should be the priority too. Make sure to ask them about their work progress at regular intervals and pat their backs for every accomplishment.
Real Empowerment
Don’t just give them a talk on empowerment; grant them some power to make decisions and work according to their judgment. When they have a sense of responsibility and some authority, they will act responsibly. They are more likely to be cautious while performing and less likely to make blunders. Still, ask them to approach you for guidance when required.
The elements of delegation bind an organization or a working place in an invisible bond of trust, responsibility, and support. Work delegation is not merely a tool to shed some workloads; it is an organized structure, a step towards better coordination, and above all, a productive approach to doing a job diversely.
These are some of the points that I think are important to consider while delegating. Do you agree, or do you have some other suggestions? Feel free to express them here until then.