When delegating isn’t second nature
What’s your style of delegating? (image by Adina Voicu for Pixabay)
You don’t need me to tell you that delegating is a vital skill for managers, especially in the nonprofit and sustainability sectors where resources are often limited. However, many managers are reluctant to delegate.
No excuses
There are many excuses for this, e.g. “It will be faster to do it myself”, or “I can’t trust that X will do the task properly”, or “I like things done a certain way and I know that Z will want to do it their way”. In the end, these excuses will just hold you and your team back from standing out.
Why delegate
Effective delegation not only frees you up to focus on strategic priorities, but also empowers your team members and fosters a more dynamic and productive work environment. If you want these benefits, then shift your mindset from delegation being about giving up control to that of leveraging the collective strength of your team.
Effective delegation
To delegate effectively, get to know each team member’s strengths, weaknesses, interests, and professional aspirations. This enables you to assign tasks that not only match their skill set but also challenge them and give them opportunities to grow and shine.
Fostering ownership and accountability is another important aspect of effective delegation. When team members feel a sense of ownership over their tasks, they are more likely to be committed to do the task well, support the success of the project, take initiative, and go above and beyond.
Here are some specific actions you can take to improve your ability to delegate strategically:
Clearly communicating goals, [realistic] deadlines, and other specific expectations
Let people know how the tasks fit into the overall scheme of things, and how they align with the broader goals of the organization
Acknowledge the value of their contributions
Be available for guidance and coaching; don’t micromanage
Obtain additional resources and support for them as needed
Encourage autonomy and fun
Regularly check in and offer help so everyone stays on track
By mastering the art of delegation, you can build a more engaged, competent, and motivated team, one that’s confident about collaborating to creatively solve problems and take advantage of opportunities.
Want to further grow your management skills?
As your team thrives through your strategic delegation, you’ll be able to help them learn new methods for creative problem-solving. Find out how at our upcoming webinar “Becoming a Rockstar Manager: Stand Out, Get Noticed, and Set Yourself Up For Promotion!”.
I coach emerging managers in their 30’s and early 40’s who want to excel at their work without losing their spark. I show them how to build and lead a creative team that consistently delivers new ideas and solves difficult problems while having fun, so they can have a work experience that’s rewarding and meaningful, and which gets them noticed.
If you’d like to see what tapping into creative potential could look like at your place of work, contact me at Ellia@ThePotentialCenter.com to arrange a no-obligation call.