Sign inOpen the app
Coaching for Leaders

117: How to Delegate Work Effectively

Dec 2, 2013 · 43 min · Episode 117 · 42.1 MB
0:00-43:21

Streams straight from the publisher. podnod never proxies or re-hosts episode audio.

Open in podnod

I’ve been getting asked a lot in the past few weeks: OK, how do I delegate effectively? On today’s show, how to delegate work and the seven steps you should follow if you want to get the best results for your team and the organization.

I spoke about the broad framework for empowering others back in Episode #53: Get Results From People With Three Simple Steps

Broadly, three areas we need to consider in delegation:

  1. Planning/expectation setting (what this show and the seven steps below are about)
  2. Regular check-in/accountability
  3. Consequences

The Seven Steps of Delegation:

1. What does success look like?

  • Time = define the deadline and major milestones
  • Cost = staff time, budget, and resources
  • Quality = what the customer (internal or external) expects the work to produce

2. Who is the right person?

  • Who is the best person for the job?
  • What kind of resources do they have?
  • Who do you need to develop? Think succession planning.

3. Communicate expectations

  • Speak in detail to the three areas from step one: Time, cost, and quality.
  • Put it in writing, especially if someone is new or doesn’t have lots of experience.
  • The amount of visibility and complexity of the project indicates how much time you’ll spend here.
  • Error on the side of too much communication, when in doubt.

4. Staff member plans project

  • They need to have ownership over their work.
  • Autonomy is key for engagement. See Daniel Pink’s book Drive* for background on why this is critical for engagement.
  • If there’s a way it has to be done, get them the training on how that is done.
  • If not, let them come to you with the plan.

5. Review the project plan

  • Review to see if it meets the three outcomes you established in step #1 and communicated in step #3.
  • If there are major gaps, address those.
  • If there are minor issues, resist the temptation to make the plan better, unless asked.

6. Establish milestones

  • What’s going to make you comfortable as a manager?
  • Factors you will want to consider: size, scope, visibility, and experience level of the person.
  • Your goal is to hit the sweet spot between micro-management and county-club management.
  • No feedback is worse than negative feedback. See episode #79 for a detailed explanation from Michelle Smith from O.C. Tanner on why this is the case.

7. Provide access to resources

  • What budget do they need?
  • Who do they need to be connected with?
  • What internal politics do you need to help them navigate?
  • What equipment, rooms, resources, and lab time are necessary?
  • At the very least, make them aware of gaps, even if you can’t address or fund every resource.

Download: The Seven Steps You Follow To Delegate Work

Discover More

Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic.