6 Steps to Effective Delegation (Part 4 of 6)

4. Establish Meaningful Timelines and Milestones.

Will the project or task be completed on time? Supervisors and direct reports alike often worry about meeting deadlines. The idea of establishing timelines and milestones at the start of any project is essential for effective delegation.

Delegation efforts that include the use of meaningful timelines and milestones also provide the opportunity to ensure accountability. Many workplace professionals struggle with the idea of accountability. They worry about how to monitor or establish accountably and how to respond in situations where the desired outcomes are less than expected. Effective delegation establishes opportunities up front to monitor progress and to provide feedback. Most employees want to be successful and by establishing the expectations and timelines up front project monitoring becomes part of the assignment.

Checking project status at predefined timelines and milestones is most effective when we have established metrics and measurements.