Delegating common time-consuming tasks to lower-level employees or contractors is a common practice among efficient entrepreneurs, business owners, and managers as it allows them to focus on more impactful tasks that require their full attention. To delegate means to assign the responsibility for doing something, such as a task or project, to another individual.
Develop Your Management Skills
Delegation is the means by which you bring out the very best in the people that you have
- The first step in learning how to delegate is to think through the job
- Decide exactly what is to be done
- Set performance standards
- Determine a schedule and a deadline for getting the job done
Effective Management through Task-Relevant Maturity
The task-relevant maturity of your staff-how long they have been on the job and how competent they are-determines your method of delegation.
- Low-level: Use a directive delegation style
- Medium: Use the effective, management by objectives delegation method
- High-low: Use simple interaction
Follow These 6 Steps to Effectively Delegate Tasks
Match the Person to the Job
- Agree on what is to be done
- Explain How the Job Should Be Done
- Have Him Feed It Back
- Set a Deadline
- Manage By Exception
- Use managing by exception whenever possible
How to Delegate the Right Tasks to the Right People
Pick the right person
- Match the requirements of the job to the abilities of the person you are delegating it to
- Delegate effectively
- Smaller tasks to newer staff to build their confidence and competence
- Do not delegate the entire job
- One hundred percent responsibility for a task is a major performance motivator
- Make clear goals and deadlines for the delegated task
- Practice management by exception when you delegate
- Invite questions and discussion and be open to suggestions
Sharable Quote About Brian Tracy
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The 6 Steps to Effective Delegation
To achieve everything you are capable of achieving, and to be able to concentrate on those few tasks that can make the greatest contribution to your life and work, you must become excellent at delegation.
- You must continually seek ways to outsource, delegate, and get other people to do things that pay you a lower hourly rate than you desire to earn.
When Should You Delegate Tasks?
Delegate tasks to be effective, you should first consider these questions:
- Instead of You? Ask the question, “Who can do this job instead of you?”
- Better than You?
- Look for people who can do certain parts of your work better than you
- At a Lower Cost?
- Companies that specialize in a particular function can usually do the job cheaper and faster than a company that does that work as part of its other activities
- Can It Be Eliminated?
- Can this activity be eliminated altogether?
