Leadership Skills: Learning to Delegate
It's all about delegation—that is, how leaders can assign tasks in a way that prevents them from being delegated back, and ensures that both parties can carry out the tasks in a relaxed and sustainable manner.
Delegating is the great art of good leadership, and it doesn't have to be difficult.
Error while delegating
There’s one thing many people get wrong: a lack of clarity. Clarity about one’s own role, one’s responsibilities, and the extent to which we feel responsible. After all, those who feel a strong sense of responsibility find it difficult to delegate.
Does that make sense?
Second mistake: We don't stop to think about what WE need in order to delegate effectively. I call this the “comfort zone check.”
Mistake No. 3: We simply dump tasks on our employees' desks without training them
Mistake No. 4: There are no feedback loops, and successes are not recognized.
Here's another way to do it:
Here is the roadmap for efficient delegation:
- Be clear about your tasks
- On a scale of 0 to 10, how responsible do you feel for this task?
- Comfort Zone Check for You: Think about what you need in terms of emotional support, numbers, data, facts, and security to be able to delegate tasks AND responsibilities. How much do you trust your employee? How many feedback loops do you need? And… what strengths are necessary for the task to be carried out successfully?
- On a scale of 0 to 10, decide how much you want to delegate. For example, a 3 means “I have someone prepare something.” A 5 means “You do it together with the employee,” and an 8 means “You delegate and seek feedback.”
- Do the same comfort zone check with your employee
- Schedule a time for feedback
- Schedule a time for feedback
Have fun putting the Delegation Roadmap into practice to build a successful leadership career.
Delegating efficiently as a manager also fosters intrinsic motivation among employees and encourages them to take personal responsibility.
Questions?
Email me at: katja@katja-schaefer.de
