How to use delegation to develop your staff
1. Quotable quote
"Delegation is difficult. It is perhaps the hardest thing that managers have to do. The problem is getting the balance right between delegating too much or too little and between over- or under-supervision. When you give someone something to do you have to make sure that it gets done. And you have to do that without breathing down his (or her) neck, wasting your time and his, and getting in the way. There has to be trust as well as guidance and supervision."
2. Here's an idea
Leadership skills are becoming more important in the workplace - and not just for managers. As organisational structures flatten and teams become more popular, employees need to learn and develop leadership skills as well. As a manager, you need to delegate to make sure every one of your employees gets a chance to hone such skills. Some methods for doing this: Have them chair a meeting; let them take the lead on a project; ask them to give a presentation; have four employees work on a report together, and put one of them in charge; create committees and appoint employees to lead them.
3. Ask yourself
Many managers when delegating tend to over-manage their staff. Here’s a strategy to make sure you’re not doing this. Ask yourself these questions:
- How many things do I have to approve?
- How necessary is it that I am part of the approval process? …
