A leader wears many hats and understands that one of the most important tools in their arsenal is the skill of delegating.
Face value, delegating is the ability to view tasks and assign them to other people. Sounds pretty simple, right? In fact, it might even sound like something you do in order to get out of a job. Nope, there’s an art to it. And if you delegate correctly, the benefits are numerous.
Effective delegation involves the ability to assign the right tasks, to the right people, at the right time. Yes, delegation is one of the most important tasks for a leader, and you are in luck, because I am going to share with you why delegating is important and the correct way to delegate.
You Must Be the Jack of All Trades Leader
A good leader is someone who understands the basics of each department under their authority. This means the leader should have a wide general knowledge on an array of subjects. They don’t necessarily need to be an expert on every given topic. Surprising, but here’s why.
Why is this important?
Because this will allow you to get involved with every department, have meaningful conversations with your team, including listening and discussing your company’s mission, their roles and importance of their roles as it relates to the total picture. Discuss the challenges they are experiencing and learn how you can best help them succeed in their roles. For example, programmers in IT may tell you that a peer does not comment properly, you will need to know what that means.
Only having general knowledge will mean there are going to be people who are better than you at just about every task. And that’s okay. That’s actually when your work begins.
Like a brilliant music conductor, you direct the performance of those under your auspices. You shape the tempo and sound of those in your symphony orchestra. You assign the tasks to best people for an excellent job done.
You can only achieve a masterpiece by understanding your team members strengths. Using the conductor example, listen to their instruments. This can only be achieved getting to know them. Taking the time to talk and listen to your team, allowing them to make mistakes, and then providing the tools they need to flourish.
For Effective Delegating, Take A Step Back
Once you’ve assigned the right tasks to the right people, now it’s time for you to step back and trust that the person you’ve tasked can do their job and do it well.
One of the mistakes that many leaders make is assuming that people will not be able to work without supervision. This toxic behavior is called micromanaging and it will sabotage your team’s success.
When You Delegate, You Can Focus on What You Do Best
Another reason it is very important to hone the art of delegating is you need to be able to focus on your job. As a leader, your job is to set strategy and inspire, guide and influence the team to help carry out the vision for success.
Your job is to make sure your company is going in the right direction. You need to be able to see the bigger picture, predict the future and help your company get where it needs to go.
You can’t do that if you are busy managing routine tasks. Maximize your energy and resources to carry out the vision of the company so there will still be an organization to manage.
Mastering the true art of delegating – knowing how to assign the right tasks, to the right people at the right time – is the secret tool effective leaders use to get the job done best. It’s not about telling people what to do and passing the buck. It’s about taking the time to know your team, know their talents, allowing them to own their work.
Give them what they need to excel, and then let them do what they do best so you can do what you do best, leader.
