Delegation Can Be Your Friend

Delegation can often seem like a time suck, but remember this: taking a task off of your plate leaves you more time. How could you spend that extra time? Additionally, delegation empowers those you lead and gives them a greater sense of responsibility towards the success of the project or organization.

Yet we still don’t delegate.

According to a recent Conference Board report, 78% of all personnel in major corporations believe that their boss, manager, or superior with whom they have a reporting relationship routinely does work that would be more effectively done by someone at their own level. Most managers agree with their team members. In fact, 66% of managers say they would like to “increase their use of delegation as a time management and personnel development tool.”

The challenge is not that we don’t realize the need for delegation — it’s that we aren’t always sure how to accomplish it well. tweet this

Here are 10 steps to help you successfully delegate:

  1. Know what the task is.
  2. Have the end result/desired outcome you want in mind.
  3. Find the right person.
  4. Share with them the results you desire.
  5. Explain why the tasks and/or results are important.
  6. Acknowledge how performing this task will benefit them.
  7. Ask them how it’s going to get done: “What do you feel is the best way to handle/complete this?” or “How have you handled something like this in the past?”
  8. Determine the exact time-frame that you want the task finished by.
  9. Reconfirm the deadline. That can sound like: “Okay great, then you will be able to have it done by next Monday?”
  10. Follow up at an agreed-upon time. If you don’t, you run the risk of training the person not to be accountable by sending the message that it’s okay for tasks not to be completed.

How are you at delegation? Better question, how is your manager at delegation?

Are you struggling to delegate? Contact Giant Leap at to learn about our signature leadership workshops, including our New Manager Boot Camp. This post is an excerpt from GLC’s New Manager Boot Camp Workbook, by Bill Treasurer.


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