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When you’re a leader, it’s easy to get overworked. One simple solution? Delegating. When you become proficient at delegating tasks, you can actually get more time to focus on what you do best: high-impact tasks. You can also get your people involved in more interesting, engaging work and demonstrate that you trust them with critical jobs. It’s a win for both of you.

Unfortunately, there are many reasons why leaders don’t delegate more, even though they want to. This includes worrying that it will take more time to explain the job rather than simply handling it themselves. Another roadblock to effective delegation is feeling uncertain about whom to assign the task to or feeling guilty about choosing one employee over another.

When Should You Delegate?

Not every job or task should be delegated. The key is knowing what to delegate and what to handle on your own. When you’re wondering, think about:

• Does someone on your team have the information and ability to do the work?
• Is this a job that’s going to be recurring on a consistent basis?
• Can you take the time to delegate the work and explain what needs to be done?
• What happens if the person you delegate to makes a mistake? Will it be easy to fix?

Ways To Delegate

When you know how to better delegate, you can become a more effective manager. You can also get your people more involved in projects that help them to grow and evolve in their own careers. To get started with delegation, try these tips.

Know what needs to be delegated.

Identify those tasks on your plate that are good candidates for delegation. These often include those that will be recurring or jobs that connect to the goals, interests, or abilities one of your employees have.

Make sure your employee understands the task.

When you’re delegating an assignment, offer guidance and clear goals so your employee understands your expectations. Set specific goals and timeframes and provide access to the tools and resources necessary to perform the work. Also, in terms of the broader picture, explain why the task matters and the impact it has on the team.

Set up check-ins.

Prioritizing feedback and communication is an important part of delegating. While you don’t want to micromanage, you do want to make sure your employee is performing the work properly. So, create a schedule of regular check-ins to inquire about performance, challenges, questions, and concerns.

Let go of the task.

This is easier said than done. However, it’s important to truly let go of the task once you delegate it. Don’t be a helicopter boss, constantly looking over the shoulder of the person you delegated work to. Instead, let them do the work and be available to answer questions and provide guidance along the way.

Do you need help finding employees you trust?

If you’d like to delegate but need to find the right-fit people first, OneSource Staffing Solutions has the answers you need. We can help you recruit talent in a range of fields and areas, so you get highly skilled and qualified people you can count on. Contact us today to learn more.