The ultimate guide to delegating like a boss

Entrepreneurs often struggle to share the workload with their employees — in fact, according to research, only 1 in 4 business leaders delegates effectively.

The same research also shows that business owners who delegate are able to achieve better business growth compared to those who keep themselves occupied with the day-to-day subtleties of running a company — in 2013, CEOs who excelled in delegating tasks generated 33% greater revenue. 

This begs the question: how can a business owner delegate like a boss?

Here is a four-pronged strategy to help you delegate effectively:

Step 1: Identify the right person for the job

Delegating will only work if you choose the right candidate for the job — you will also feel more confident handing over responsibilities if you are sure that you have the right person taking over.

One way to do so is to explore every staff member’s professional strengths and weaknesses, their style of working, their interests and long-term goals, their skills and experience, whether they have the time, capacity and willingness to take on additional work, and so on and so forth. Ensure that the work you plan to delegate is in line with their areas of interest and will help them thrive.

Another way of going about delegating tasks is by simply asking your employees. Apart from finding the right person for the job, this is also a great way to increase employee engagement and encourage staff members to upskill.

Step 2: Explain the task with clarity

As with everything else, communication is key. When delegating assignments, you must communicate effectively in order to get the best results. Hence, make sure that they know the desired end result, the channels of authority, the limitations of the task at hand and who is responsible for what, among other things. Also, ensure that they have all the essential tools they will need to do the job well.

And, if the task is, say, something that follows a set procedure, in addition to demonstrating how to carry it out, you can also record the training session, which the employee can later refer to in case of any doubts or issues that may come up.

Step 3: Check in with the delegate regularly, but do not micromanage

Your employees should always know that you are there to support and help them. Convey this message to them and check in on them occasionally. Provide any help they may need, including any new skills they may need to acquire, and encourage them to take ownership of the assigned responsibilities.

Note that, while supporting your staff would help accomplish the task, trying to control them or the process will have the opposite effect and cause loss of productivity. Instead, let them know what the expected outcome is and why the assignment is important.

Step 4: Reward the delegate for work done well

Once the delegate has taken ownership of a task and completed it successfully, recognize their achievement with a fitting reward, which can range from small gifts items to a pay raise or a promotion. Don’t forget to provide constructive feedback to them — you can also ask your team for any feedback that they can give you — and let them know that you appreciate their efforts.

Finally… 

Don’t think of delegation as a weakness. It can be a great way to motivate your staff because it lets them know that you trust and value them. Research shows that building on employee strengths increases productivity and adds to job satisfaction. And once you delegate certain functions or assignments to your employees, who are experts in their fields, you can free up your calendar and focus on such essential tasks as future planning and business strategy.