Delegation

Some people delegate well. Some people learn to delegate, but do it reluctantly. And some people are, well, “delegation-averse.”

Your team needs you to delegate frequently and delegate well. Make sure you give them what they need to succeed.

They need enough time to do the task, so don’t procrastinate delegating until the deadline is looming. Include time for check-ins and expect that they will need time for revisions, particularly if they are new to a task or process.

Make sure your people know how to do the task. You can explain it to them or train them… or you can delegate the training to another competent team member (yes, you can delegate so you can delegate!). One capable staffer can train the entire team, and everyone’s competencies grow. Or you can give them a task and ask them to come up with their own action plan on how to accomplish it. They can then run it by you so that you can approve it and make sure they aren’t leaving anything out or going in the wrong direction.

Make sure your people have a manual or other resources to help them troubleshoot. You should also have an “open door” policy if they have questions or run into a problem. Encourage them to avoid the “what should I do now?” mindset, but to come to you with possible solutions, e.g., “Do you think it would work if I did X, Y, or Z?”

Give them a template for what the client-ready final product should look like, so they know what success is.

Give them a checklist of what you will be checking when they bring their work product back to you, so they can anticipate how to do it right in your eyes.

Adopt a “first draft” mentality, and give your people feedback on how to revise it to perfection. “This draft looks really good. We just need to include A, B, and C, and it will be ready to go out.” Let THEM revise it; don’t take it back and do it yourself “because it’s just faster that way,” or they will never learn how to do it at the professional level.

(image source: https://makesaasbetter.com/teamwork-memes/)