The Killer skill every manager needs

As a Manager, How good are you in delegating tasks effectively and having it carried out beyond your expectations. London business school professor John Hunt notes that only 30 percent of managers think they can delegate well, and of those, only one in three is considered a good delegator by his or her subordinates. This means only about one manager in ten really knows how to empower others.

Delegation is one of the most important management skills. Good delegation saves you time, develops you people, grooms a successor, and motivates. Poor delegation will cause you frustration, demotivates and confuses the other person, and fails to achieve the task or purpose itself. So it's a management skill that's worth improving. 

Delegation is really crucial for effective leadership, management and succession. These delegation tips and techniques are really vital for effective management.

As a giver of delegated tasks you must ensure delegation happens properly. Just as significantly, as the recipient of delegated tasks you have the opportunity to 'manage upwards' and suggest improvements to the delegation process and understanding -

Managing the way you receive and agree to do delegated tasks is one of the central skills of 'managing upwards'

Delegated tasks must be:

·         Specific

·         Measurable

·         Agreed

·         Realistic

·         Timebound

·         Ethical

·         Recorded.

Steps to successful delegation

1.     Define the task-

Confirm in your own mind that the task is the right task to be delegated. Does it meet the criteria for delegating? You should be using your time on the most critical tasks for the business, and the tasks that only you can do. Delegate what you can’t do, and what doesn’t interest you

2.      Select the right individual or team-

What are your reasons for delegating to this person or team? What are they going to get out of it? Do they have the right skills and capability to carry out the task?

 Do they understand what needs to be done?  Listen and observe. Learn the traits, values, and characteristics of those who will perform well when you delegate to them. That means give the work to people who deliver, not the people who are the least busy

3. Explain the reasons-

You must explain why the job or responsibility is being delegated. And why to that person or people? What is its importance and relevance? Where does it fit in the overall scheme of things?

4.  State required results-

What must be achieved? Clarify understanding by getting feedback from the other person. How will the task be measured? Make sure they know how you intend to decide that the job is being successfully done.

5. Consider resources required-

Discuss and agree what is required to get the job done. Consider people, location, premises, equipment, money, materials, other related activities and services.

6. Agree deadlines-

When must the job be finished? Or if an ongoing duty, when are the review dates? When are the reports due? And if the task is complex and has parts or stages, what are the priorities?

 As well as showing you that the job can be done, this helps to reinforce commitment.

Methods of checking and controlling must be agreed with the other person. Failing to agree this in advance will cause this monitoring to seem like interference or lack of trust.

7. Support and communicate-

Think about who else needs to know what's going on, and inform them. Involve the other person in considering this so they can see beyond the issue at hand. Do not leave the person to inform your own peers of their new responsibility. Warn the person about any awkward matters of politics or protocol. Inform your own boss if the task is important, and of sufficient profile.

8. Feedback on results-

It is really necessary to let the person know how they are doing, and whether they have achieved their aims. If not, you must review with them why things did not go to plan, and deal with the problems. You must absorb the consequences of failure, and pass on the credit for success.

Moreover some team members try to give a task back to the manager, if they don’t feel comfortable, or are attempting to dodge responsibility. Don’t accept it except in extreme cases. In the long run, every team member needs to learn or leave

Finally, every entrepreneur needs to set aside their fear of delegating. If you do it right, as outlined above, every task will likely be done better than you could do it.