As the head of the team, you feel the weight of your responsibilities more than your team members do. This feeling can sometimes lead you to do everything on your own instead of trusting other members of the team to help you. However, it is not a healthy mindset to have, especially for team managers. A great leader knows their limits and when to ask for help.
They say more heads are better than one. If your team learns to work together, you can come up with better work outputs. Mastering the art of delegation is one way to achieve good results effectively. It is also an essential trait a good leader should have. Taking delegation online courses can help you develop that quality.
If you need help on how to delegate tasks properly, here are some tips for you:Â
1. Assess what you cannot do
As the leader, you know your team members best. You know their strengths, skill sets, and capabilities. At the same time, you know the tasks you need to do, what to prioritize, and when is the deadline. With all this information, you are in the best position to evaluate the things you can and should do versus the tasks you can delegate.Â
Stop thinking about doing everything on your own. Instead, see delegation as an opportunity to allow your team members to grow as well. You can assign tasks based on their strengths, and let them learn their way through that. Just keep in mind that they also need time to hone their skills. This step might require more patience and assistance from you, but you will reap the benefits later on.
2. Communicate clearly
When assigning a task to a team member, you have to be clear about the goals and expectations. You and your team members should know exactly what you, as a team, need to accomplish together. Being aligned with the objectives is one assurance that you will get your desired results, especially when working in a project together.Â
When communicating the tasks, make sure to ask them if they have any questions and deal with each question properly. Remind them, too, that they can always come to you if they need more information or if they have any clarification. Keep the communication line open.
3. Regularly check on your team members
One biggest hurdle you have to face to learn the proper way of delegating is how to trust your team members. It is the first and most crucial step to master the art of delegation. However, it does not mean that you should set them free and allow them to find their path on their own. As their team leader, you should constantly check up on them, provide guidelines, and give constructive feedback.
Setting expectations and individual goals beforehand will help you evaluate their performance and track their progress better. Arrange meetings, too, where you can talk about your milestones and correct some mistakes. Allotting time for these mini checkups may be time-consuming but will also ensure that your employees are improving and giving the company better work outputs. It is better than waiting, repeating the work they do, and ending up not making any progress—as a boss and as an employee—all along.Â
4. Know when to say no
Delegating skills are not confined within your team alone. It is also learning when your team has a full workload already and needs help. When you know that your team schedule is currently cramped, as a leader, you should know when to say no and ask for help from other teams.Â
Sometimes, tasks that are out of your scope may also fall under your pipeline. It is your responsibility to oversee these tasks and find the right department that can help you deal with it. Finding the right people to do the right job is one effective way of speeding up the work process.
Conclusion
Learning how to delegate tasks is not being an irresponsible leader. It is one way of building trust with your teammates, letting them develop their skills, and making them more responsible members of the company. With fewer tasks in your hand, you can focus more on helping each of them grow to reach their full potential.
If you need more tips to improve your managerial skills, you can always enroll in our delegation online course. We are a platform that offers over 300 online courses!