You’ve got too much to do and you need to pass something off to someone else. Strategic Delegation is one of the most critical business management skills. If you’ve analyzed yourself and the situation first (see Part l) then you are ready to answer these questions:

§       Who is the right person to delegate to?

§       Specifically, how should you get the information/skill/knowledge from your head into theirs?

§       What’s the best way to hold them accountable?

Picking the Right Person to Delegate to

These factors will not only help you pick the right person, but show you how much and what type of work you’ll need to do to make it work for this person.

There are 5 Factors to Consider:

1. Is she already competent in that skill/knowledge area?

2. Does she have the confidence to take on this responsibility?

3. Does she have the potential to learn this competency?

One of the greatest skills of a leader is to be able to see potential in someone.

4. Does this fit with her Career Development Plan?

If yes, this helps to create buy-in to work now, for a better future

5. Would she have the time to add this work and do it well?

This is often overlooked. Be realistic, does she have the time? Often managers just dump additional work and expect it and everything else to get done. Perhaps you need to take a task away or delegate something to someone else, if her plate is already full. Set this person up for success…not failure!

How Do YOU Do It?

This is the introspective part. You have probably been doing this function for a long time, so it is second nature for you. But we need to get this unconscious knowledge out of your head and into his. So here is your homework:

Study how YOU do it well, for a week before delegating it. Ask yourself these questions:

§       What questions do I consider? Write them down.

§       What are my concerns? What could possibly go wrong?

§       What are the politics (relationship impacts) in this?

            For example, who should you be sure to keep in the loop?

§       What are the potential pitfalls, barriers or challenges? Share experiences you’ve had or know of others mistakes. Or discuss ones you think this person might be likely to make based on their personality or lack of experience.

§       What does it look like, sound like or feel like when it is done at 100%?   For example, if you’re asking him to give a report at a meeting, share that it must be typed with bullets, submitted 1 day in advance, don’t read it during the meeting, talk about the trends, implications and problems and be ready for potential Q&A .

§       What are the parameters of authority? (This is critical!)

            At what point does he come to you for authority?

Holding Them Accountable

Many managers think their job is done once they’ve had “The conversation” and training. NO! That’s another form of dumping.

After your conversation and after training with them, they must DO IT!

Step back. Let them try it. Don’t micro-manage - unless it is a high danger/risk situation. Balance between effective oversight and micromanaging

How will you monitor the progress? This is part of your plan. What are the most effective ways for you to know about progress, without micromanaging? Will reports be sufficient? Are there progress milestones? Can there be sporadic quality checks? How about feedback from other people?

Set timeline for your expectations for 100% competence. Do you think it will take a a week or a month for them to be fully competent?  If you don’t set the timeline, he might think he’s got a year to continue to rely on you every step of the way…or may procrastinate on doing or learning it. This sets the goal and the standard.

Keep in mind: As a manager and leader you become successful by helping others become successful!

This outlines some of the main aspects of successful strategic delegation. If you would like to ask Janelle Brittain questions about your specific situation, email your question to her at Janelle@DynamicPerformance.com

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Janelle Brittain, MBA, CSP, is CEO & President of Dynamic Performance Institute, LLC and Dynamic Solutions Group., companies that help leadership and teams of organizations grow to their highest dynamic performance.  Her most recent books are “Star Team Dynamics: 12 Lessons Learned from Experienced Team Builders” and “How to Say It: Performance Reviews, Phrases and Strategies for Painless and Productive Performance Reviews.” To learn more, visit www.DynamicPerformance.com and WWW.DynamicSolutionsGp.com . To hear concrete advice or have your business questions answered, go to Janelle’s on-line audio shows at: https://thewinonline.com/shows/dynamic-performance-business-coach-bring-...