Know How to Delegate

Delegation often unconsciously brings a fear that the assigned tasks will not be accomplished with the same efficiency, or a lack of confidence, or even the hidden fear of losing control of part of your organization by entrusting it to other people. In short, possessiveness prevents you from delegating, which is contrary to the activity of a manager who always complains of not having enough time. Between important appointments, work meetings, and travel, you certainly don't have time to waste on tasks you can get rid of, without jeopardizing your credibility and authority. And yet, delegation allows you to better control and improve the work of others. The problem of delegation therefore lies more in the definition of the tasks to be delegated. If you manage to clearly define what needs to be done and the expected result, there is no reason why these tasks should not be carried out on time by the person you have designated. Determine the tasks to transfer and those you must keep. Start by listing your strengths. What aspects of managing your business are you the only competent person for? These tasks are your responsibility, and only you can perform them efficiently. As for tasks that are outside your area of expertise or those that can be more easily accomplished by other people, they are the first ones you should delegate. Create a list of all your daily, weekly, or monthly tasks. From this list, see what you can continue to handle and what you can entrust to a competent person. Define a delegation plan. Make a list of everything you have to do and how you would like it done. For effective delegation, you must be able to tell the person to whom you are entrusting a task exactly what needs to be done. If you think no one can do it better than you, it's perhaps because you don't know what you want done. To do this, clearly and precisely define what you want done to be sure it will be done as you wish. To achieve this, describe the entire process of efficient task execution yourself. Determine the result to be achieved and the details of the steps to get there. Then recruit or designate the appropriate person to whom you will give the "specifications" with everything they will need to succeed. Recruit the right person. To find the right person, you will need to determine the skills required to perform the task to be delegated. Also, know what you want them to do for you. Once you have determined the skills you need, all you have to do is find the qualified person to perform them. Specify the expected results and responsibilities of the person to whom you are delegating. One of the most important steps in delegation is the determination of the expected results. This is most often done through a performance contract whereby you assign specific objectives and results to a person while providing them with the necessary means to achieve them. Don't forget to inform them of your expectations. The results must be measurable to avoid any later controversy. For example, ask a salesperson to make at least 30 calls per week rather than handle telephone prospecting. Specifying responsibilities here is important because it is vital to the survival of your company. If you set quotas, objectives, or results and they are not met, you will need to know who is responsible; this will help you determine what action to take. Once these objectives are determined, communicate them to the designated person and plan the measures to be taken if the results are not achieved. Continuously monitor. Delegating does not mean shirking responsibility. If you delegate without bothering to monitor, don't be surprised if the results are not achieved. Nobody is infallible. Monitoring plays an essential role in the success of delegation. It will involve monitoring the progress of the delegated tasks and assisting, if necessary, the designated persons in their execution to ensure the expected result. Schedule meetings to monitor the progress of tasks, choose a specific date and stick to it. This is a 10- to 15-minute session during which you review the delegated tasks, progress in their execution, corrections to be made, etc. The purpose of these exchanges is to allow you to review the difficulties encountered and define solutions together to remedy them. A periodic review will allow you to keep an eye on the evolution of your company or department, to solve problems as they arise, and to develop the skills of those who work with you. Philippe Montant General Manager