THE ART OF DELEGATION

Delegation is all about handing over the right tasks to the right people. People can rise high and achieve remarkable goals simply if they delegate tasks to able and talented people around them. 

 If you are able to rope in more brains and bodies to do the tasks, you are able to get multiple things done within the given time. Many of the business owners who are not fine at delegation and carry the entire burden themselves blunt the company’s growth. This is particularly found in small family businesses. However, it is not essential to delegate all tasks to others. Delegation must be used with care and discretion. There are certain things that must be kept in mind to practice effective delegation. One crucial aspect of delegation is that by delegating the tasks to your people, you develop their skills, abilities and confidence. By demonstrating trust in others to perform tasks on their own you also develop their creativity and problem solving.  No man is likely to be a great leader who wants to do it all himself, or get all the credit for doing a given task.  Therefore, like a professional, you should learn and implement delegation. One must keep in mind the following things with respect to delegation.

You must trust your people and do get rid of your feeling of persistently finding fault with others and that the person assigned with the job cannot carry it out how you desire. Of course, you may be a perfectionist. If so, the problem lies with you for having too high expectations.  You must do away the belief that only you know the best. Surely, it is your past performance and experience that has carried you to the leadership position. At the same time you also need to recognize the fact that nobody can claim to b knowing everything on all matters. It is a fact that the employees doing the factory-line, front desk, and other jobs are the only people who know the work and the associated problems.  Some people fear that by delegating they may lose their control. By assigning the job, there is a possibility of your losing control over the little bits of how the job is done, however, you can continue to maintain control over the key aspects of the job by spelling out the expected output and performance targets as well as quality control checks and standards.

Some people also bear the feeling that they will lose credit and recognition. It is just an undesired fear that assigning jobs means that other people will take the credit for jobs well done. If we believe in the concept of team work, we know that the achievement of a team accrues to every team member, including the leader of the team. If the team steals the limelight for an accomplishment, sure some light will be thrown onto the leader as well for his good leadership and management.           

You may please keep in mind that a delegation is not passing of the authority instead you must be seen as a sharing of responsibility. Even on assigning the tasks to your team, you still remain responsible to monitor and ensure the completion of the task on time. Your role is to help and advice when the team faces difficulties and s encounters tumbling blocks. Allow your people some freedom to exercise initiative and develop decision-making. Whenever delegation is practiced, delegate tasks matching to individual strengths. Provide them an opportunity to grow, develop and enrich their job performance. Explain to your team the reasons for delegation and how it helps them to rise- high career ladder in future. 

Remember a small story of trust between a shepherd and wolf that indicates the extent you can trust others.   A wolf had been prowling around a flock of sheep for a long time, and the shepherd watched very anxiously to prevent him from carrying off a lamb. But the wolf did not try to do any harm. Instead he seems to be helping the shepherd take care of the sheep. At last the shepherd got so used to seeing the wolf that he forgot how wicked it could be? One day he even went so far as to leave his flock in the wolf’s care while he went on an errand. But when he came back and saw many of the flock had been killed and carried off, he knew how foolish he had been to trust a wolf as he exclaimed,’ I have been rightly served; why did I trust my sheep to a wolf’.