Optimising Team Efficiency: Five Strategies for Mastering Delegation

8 July

4 min read

TLDR: Delegation is key to optimising a team’s performance. Identify appropriate tasks to delegate, allocate to the right person, give them clear purpose, authority to act, provide ongoing feedback and review effectiveness on completion.

Ever heard yourself or someone in your team say “It was easier to do it myself - it would have taken too much time to explain how to do it to someone in my team”? The problem here is twofold - first, it disempowers the team, their ability to step up and to learn and grow - keep doing it and the team will expect to be told what to do, never taking their own initiative; secondly, if you’re not careful and it’s your default way of thinking and doing, you will become overwhelmed and risk facing burnout. Each step up the promotional ladder is an additional and utterly compelling reason to learn how to delegate effectively.

Delegation is a critical skill for leaders. It not only alleviates workloads but also empowers team members, one of the key pillars of motivation, building trust and capability within an organisation. Despite its importance, some leaders struggle with effective delegation, either micromanaging or abdicating responsibility entirely. This blog offers five strategies for optimal delegation to ensure tasks are completed efficiently and team members feel valued and capable.

Understanding Delegation

Delegation is the process of assigning responsibility and authority to others to complete tasks. It's not about offloading work but involves a strategic approach to ensure that the right tasks are given to the right people. Effective delegation benefits organisations by improving efficiency, developing employee skills, and freeing up leaders to focus on high-priority tasks. Delegating does not absolve the delegator of ultimate responsibility - rather, it is an expansion on the resource available with accountability remaining with the initial task-giver.

Five Strategies for Optimal Delegation

Identify the Right Tasks to Delegate

Not all tasks are suitable for delegation. Identify tasks that:

Are time-consuming but do not require your unique expertise.
Can help develop your team members' skills.
Are repetitive and can be systematised.

For instance, administrative tasks, routine reporting, and preliminary research are often good candidates for delegation. Conversely, tasks that involve sensitive information or require strategic decision-making might be better handled personally, unless there is scope and rationale to bring an individual up to the required level of understanding - for example, in order that they may stand in for you in your absence or if they are being invested into as part of a developmental plan.

Choose the Right People

Selecting the right person for a task is crucial. Consider the following when choosing who to delegate to:

Skill Set: Match the task with the individual's skills and strengths.
Interest: Assign tasks that align with team members' interests and career goals.
Workload: Be mindful of their current workload to avoid overburdening them.

There is a counter school of thought that says that tasks could or should be given to individuals that have the most to learn and therefore don’t have the immediacy of skill set. This might have value if there’s sufficient bandwidth and/or it’s part of an individual’s person career path, but such delegation needs to be balanced with the need for speed and accuracy in the moment.

Provide Clear Instructions and Expectations

Clarity is key to effective delegation. Ensure that the person you are delegating to understands:

The Objective: Clearly explain the purpose of the task and its importance.
The Process: Provide detailed instructions on how to complete the task.
The Deadline: Set a realistic deadline and communicate it clearly.
The Expected Outcome: Describe what a successful outcome looks like.

For example, instead of saying, "Prepare a report on our Q2 sales," you might say, "Please prepare a 10-page report on our Q2 sales performance, including a breakdown by region, product line, and sales channels, and let me have it by the end of the week, as I’ve got to present it at 2pm on Monday to the Exec." If you really want to motivate the person you’re delegating, add in what the purpose of the report itself is, give additional context, for example “I’m presenting this on the basis that I’m looking to secure an additional 15% in funding for our Q4 marketing campaign, so if you’ve got any additional facts or angles that might support that, I’d be keen to hear”. The latter allows the person being delegated to to feel trusted, to fully buy-in, understand why the task is important and add value over and above a basic request for a Q2 report.

Provide the Necessary Resources and Authority

Delegation without the necessary resources and authority is setting someone up for failure. Ensure that the person has:

Access to Information: Provide all relevant data, documents, and contacts.
Tools and Equipment: Ensure they have the necessary tools and software.
Authority: Give them the authority to make decisions related to the task.

For instance, if you delegate a project management task, ensure the team member has access to project management software, relevant project documents, and the authority to communicate with stakeholders. As an additional safety net, you might also make yourself more available or accessible in the event that the team member needs to check in - never leave them feeling high and dry as it will create negative anticipation of future task-delegation.

Follow Up and Provide Feedback

Delegation does not end once you assign a task. Follow-up and feedback are essential to ensure the task is on track and to provide opportunities for learning and improvement.

Regular Check-Ins: Schedule regular check-ins to monitor progress and provide support.
Constructive Feedback: Offer feedback on the completed task, highlighting both strengths and areas for improvement.
Recognition and Appreciation: Acknowledge and appreciate the effort and successful completion of tasks.

Overcoming Common Delegation Challenges

Despite the benefits, delegation can be challenging. Here are some common challenges and how to overcome them:

Fear of Losing Control: Many leaders fear losing control over the quality and outcome of tasks. Overcome this by setting clear expectations and maintaining regular communication.
Lack of Trust: Trust issues can hinder effective delegation. Build trust by starting with smaller tasks and gradually increasing responsibility as team members demonstrate their capabilities.
Poor Communication: Miscommunication can lead to misunderstandings and mistakes. Ensure clear, concise, and open communication at all stages of delegation and check for understanding.
Fear of Conflict: Some fear that asking others to take on additional tasks and responsibility will cause conflict. Ensure that delegation is not merely a re-allocation of workload. Make sure that the team member can accommodate the task; reframe your perspective that sharing managerial tasks is also investing in your team capabilities.

Effective delegation, like any part of leadership, is an art that takes careful thought, practice, and support. By investing in your team, you boost their skills, abilities, and overall performance in the long run. Sure, there might be some short-term sacrifices in time and quality, but with your help, these hurdles can be easily overcome. Not delegating can lead to stagnation, inefficiency, and a lack of motivation in your team—and burnout for you, so there are plenty of good reasons to step up your delegation game!

If any of this resonates with you as a leader or you have leaders within your team that need help with this skill and you’d like a discussion as to how I might help, please contact me here.