Who hasn’t stared at a mountain of unfinished work, feeling overwhelmed and stressed? Your desk is a battlefield, and you’re the outnumbered general. But fear not, friend! There’s a secret weapon that can turn the tide: delegation.
Delegating tasks can lighten your load, reduce stress, and boost your team’s morale. So, why not give it a try?
We’ve all been there: the mountain of paperwork, the endless reports, and the nagging feeling that there’s always more to do.
It’s as if we’re expected to be superhuman, juggling multiple tasks simultaneously and still smiling. But let’s face it: We’re only human, and we have limits.
We already discussed how situations like those can affect our overall performance and even our health. There are only so many things we can do before we burn ourselves out. To avoid that from happening, one of the strategies we recommend employing is delegating work amongst your teammates—if it applies, of course.
Nowadays, sticking to a “if you want something done right, better do it yourself” mindset isn’t always the way to go. It sounds very self-absorbed, even. Yes, the Lone Wolf archetype was in style back in the day, but now, counting on a capable team that’ll have your back is a must. To join ours, you can click here.
Remember those group projects in school? When people worked together, things got done much quicker. It’s the same in the real world.
With more hands on deck, you can finish your projects faster. And the best part? You get to choose your teammates this time! No more being stuck with the kids who didn’t do their share. You’ll be collaborating with other pros.
Before we move further, we need to understand what delegation is. We can define it as:
The assignment of authority to another person (normally from a manager to a subordinate) to carry out specific activities.
In simpler words, and from a management perspective, delegating is when a manager (or team leader) gives a different staff member the responsibility to complete an assigned duty, as described here.
Some people are still skeptical about how effective work delegation can be. They have a hard time letting go of responsibilities and prefer to work on everything alone, but if done right, this strategy can propel your business forward. You will get twice as much work done. You’ll have to learn to entrust others with essential tasks, which is what this article is for.
To ensure that you’re delegating work the right way, we prepared the following advice:
Find The Perfect Match for The Job
I know this idea sounds like the overused premise of a dating app, but I mean that every member of a well-balanced team has their strengths, weaknesses, and preferences. Of course, you won’t designate public speaking tasks to that one shy guy from IT. It would be best to assign responsibilities according to the assignee’s skills.
Picture this: wouldn’t Sarah from Accounting be the perfect person to aid you in all your finance-related issues, or would you look for that help in Monica, our Community Manager who, despite her incredible skills in social media, doesn’t know what a balance sheet is? Yes, that’s what I thought, too. Sarah’s the one for this task.
Be Clear and Specific About What You Want
Before we involve others, we must clearly and confidently communicate all the necessary details about the task. In today’s business world, there’s no room for assumptions or mixed messages. Failing to explain things correctly will almost certainly result in having to redo everything from the beginning.
If possible, break the task down into a step-by-step process so others can understand it more easily. Use direct language, and try not to go off-topic, as it can get very confusing. You only need to state what’s necessary.
Build Trust Inside Your Team
Once you’ve found the perfect match and made sure they understand the task inside and out, you can confidently hand over the work and trust them to deliver.
Give others enough space to shine by themselves. They won’t always need you breathing down their necks and telling them exactly what to do.
Sit back, relax, and let things unfold. Anyhow, you should enable an open channel for communication in case your coworkers have questions. They’ll know where to find you.
Provide Feedback and Be Open To Suggestions
Things won’t always go as planned, that’s for sure, and it’s completely okay. You need to be empathetic and understand that people can sometimes make mistakes. For situations like these, have a plan B waiting on deck.
Even if it’s a small mistake like mixing up two folders, it’s important to take steps to correct it and prevent it from happening again. Don’t dwell on the negative. Instead, focus on learning from the experience and avoiding similar mistakes in the future.
Your team needs to know that communication is a two-way street. Encourage them to share their ideas and suggestions. You might even learn a thing or two from them! After all, two minds are better than one.
The next time you’re sitting at your desk, take a moment to think about which projects could benefit from a team effort. Then, gather your team, discuss the possibilities, and put our advice into action.
You’ll see how unstoppable your team can become when you delegate tasks effectively.
To join our already skilled and capable team of Freelancers, you can leave your résumé here. We’ll contact you as soon as possible.
See more articles by Jenaro Perdomo.
