6 Steps to Effective Delegation (Part 6 of 6)

6. Give Thanks and Reward.

Morale is often of great concern for organizations. When we bring people together and form teams, pursue common goals, and share a vision – we want to maintain forward momentum. Post delegation efforts and evaluation of the outcomes, we need to be sure we are giving appreciation to those who have made it a success.

Appreciation and reward systems can quickly lead us into a very challenging and complex discussion. After all, who do we reward, when do we do it, and do we reward everyone or just the individual efforts? Indeed there are a lot of considerations.

Keeping it simple consider the following as part of an effective delegation process:

      1. People want to be appreciated – give thanks
      2. People want to succeed – show them they are doing it
      3. People like feeling motivated – give them a reason to reach for more

Effective delegation can not only make you a better leader, but it can feed starving workplace teams and grow a motivated and positive culture. Leading is not about doing it all, in part it is about trusting, caring, and delegating effectively. Delegation is an appropriate balance of the leader managing and maintaining projects, but also sharing the efforts, risks, and rewards. Effective delegation like most leadership performance criteria is a delicate balance of doing enough but not too much. Excessive delegation can be as damaging as under delegating. Team leaders, supervisors, and managers should self-assess on their delegation skills and confidently develop the right balance.

6 Steps to Effective Delegation (Part 5 of 6)

5. Establish Metrics and Measurements.

How do we know if the project or task has been successful? What are the metrics or measurements that we will use for comparison?

Similar to timelines and milestones the metrics should be established at the beginning of the project or assigned task. Metrics typically provide some accountability data. We often think in terms of how much, how many, and in what timeframe. However, what determines those thresholds? We need something to compare to, here are three possibilities:

      - Past performance
      - Benchmark data
      - Management expectations

Effective delegators will consider what is measurable and achievable; and what will be the most important to demonstrate in the future? Gathering some data on past performance, industry or sector benchmarks, and management expectations are all useful for comparison. Benchmark and past performance data tend to be objective and are highly recommended for inclusion in your evaluation toolbox. Often projects are evaluated based on management expectations alone which could be considered subjective in nature. As long as those (management) expectations are well communicated and reasonably achievable they can provide a viable and valuable comparison.

Metrics and measurement choices may vary considerably depending on the type of project or task, and its significance to the organization or performance contributions. Effective delegation will produce results, for those achieving those results remember to give thanks and reward!

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.

6 Steps to Effective Delegation (Part 3 of 6)

3. Share and clarify the big picture.

Employees should understand the big picture. In many workshops that I deliver I ask participants if they know the mission statement of their organization. Perhaps not surprising is that very few have any idea about the mission statement.

Knowing and understanding the mission statement gives employees a sense of purpose and helps solidify direction and desired outcomes during delegation efforts. Employees who know and understand the mission of the organization will be better positioned to tackle projects, assignments, and day-to-day job duties. When they encounter unexpected problems it reinforces the purpose giving them a better approach to problem solving.

During delegation efforts employees should be clear on the expected outcomes of a task or assignment and how this assignment aligns with the broader organization strategies. Throughout the course of a project it is beneficial to continually monitor the path and progress to be sure this alignment continues. An opportunity to monitor is presented when we establish meaningful timelines and milestones.

6 Steps to Effective Delegation (Part 2 of 6)

2. Have you clearly defined the expectations?

During delegation efforts do you clearly define the expectations? Employees may be unable to be successful and typically are not as motivated if they are unclear of the expectations for carrying out job tasks or duties.

Supervisors and managers may sometimes feel great disappointment and confusion about why delegated tasks fail to get completed in a timely, accurate, or otherwise appropriate manner. In some cases management is not delegating effectively. Effective delegation includes a clear and concise definition of the expectations. This problem can be amplified if the supervisor believes that they have been clear and concise but the employee who has received the assignment is still unclear. Perhaps worse yet if they believe they are clear but have interpreted the communication differently the results could be very unfavorable. Of course, we sometimes we call this – miscommunication.

Effective delegation must include clearly defined expectations. To help solidify the transfer of job tasks or duties consider these helpful hints:

   - Ask questions to ensure understanding
   - Ask for reflection back about the objectives of the project or task
   - Use effective listening approaches
   - Watch or monitor the work as the employee begins

Delegation represents one of the keys to leadership success. Leaders should always be sure to share and clarify the big picture.