7 reasons why managers must delegate tasks effectively

7 reasons why managers must delegate tasks effectively

Delegation is an essential leadership skill for many managers. Managers have some tasks that they need to do, but their primary job is to make sure that others are doing what they have been assigned to accomplish the mission and goals of the organization.

Effective managers know what responsibilities to delegate tasks to allow themselves time to plan, to collaborate with others in the organization, and to monitor the performance of their employees, making sure to give them adequate feedback and development opportunities.

Effective steps to follow while delegating

The first step to delegating effectively is deciding which tasks and responsibilities you want to assign to someone else on your team. Take a look at the work you currently have on your plate and ask yourself: which of these is totally necessary for me to do, and which could be done better by someone else?

After you’ve prepared a list of tasks you’re going to delegate, the next thing to do is find the right people to assign them to. Start by looking at their skill sets and the schedules of your staff. Once you’ve sorted everything out and finalized your delegation plans, it’s time to start assigning tasks to your team.

Now, you need to start assigning tasks to your team. And when you do, don’t forget to include your full trust in their capability to take each task on. There’s no point in delegating if you’re intending to check on them every half an hour to see if they’re doing it the way you want it to. Micromanagement won’t do either of you any good.

Reasons why managers find it hard to delegate tasks

There are so many reasons why managers do not delegate tasks as much as they could. Some of these reasons include the belief that employees cannot do the job as well as the manager can.

Some also believe that it takes less time to do the work than it takes to delegate the responsibility. There is also a feeling of guilt associated with giving more work to overworked staff and so on.

Some reasons for not delegating are legitimate. However, there are more advantages that come with delegating work to your junior staff. As a manager, here are a few more reasons why you should be delegating moving forward

To gain your employees’ trust!

Trust is essential in the manager-employee relationship, and nothing kills trust like micromanaging. However, there are ways you can strike a balance between micromanaging while dealing with your employees. If you want your team to put their faith in you, you need to believe in them.

When you delegate tasks you send a powerful statement to employees about how much they are trusted and how competent and valued they are considered to be to the company.

This is a challenging balance, as you need to give regular communication and feedback while giving employees the freedom to bring their particular strengths to the task.

Get that balance right, and you’ll build a team where people aren’t afraid to take on a leadership role because they know they have the support of their managers.

To foster a collaborative work environment

By delegating tasks you help ensure everyone on your team knows what they are contributing to the project and that their work matters. Constructive feedback, including praise when it’s due and advice when efforts fall short, helps ensure your employees are invested in making your project a success.

To help develop a great team

Managers are responsible for developing their employees to ensure that they are well trained, to identify future leaders, and to prepare their own successor when they move up or move on to other organizations. Great managers leaders are the ones who have an eye on long-term as well as short-term goals. They’re focused on bringing out the best in employees and helping them work on areas that they’re not as strong in. Great leaders also listen to their employees. They help employees take on more responsibility and develop the skills needed to advance their careers.

To help develop your skills as a manager

By delegating, you give yourself more time to work on your skills and capacities. This will help you achieve your goals in less time and set up higher goals to reach. You will become more efficient as the stress will be less, which means that your vision will be wider.

You already have too much on your plate

Managers need to delegate because they are not supposed to do all of the work themselves. They need to interact with other managers about goals; plan for possible changes in economic conditions, competitive factors and the like; and communicate with other managers about how to improve operations and develop new strategies.

In addition, managers need to devote time to their own development through training and by keeping up with technology and other innovations relevant to their industry and their organization.

To help you save time

Actually, time is one of the most valuable resources a company has in today’s world. Effective delegation allows you the ability to maximize this that your company strives for – as they say, ‘Time is Money’! As it decreases delays in achieving tasks, and it also decreases delays for those who are waiting on you, as a manager, you are able to take more actions or make more decisions. Therefore, an investment in the effective delegation process needs to be seen as an investment not only in your people but also in the long term’s health and success of your association.

To help increase communication

Once you get to delegate, you will be tasked with checking in with your staff more often. This in turn will diminish the hierarchy between you and your team. They will notice that you brought them to your level, which will make communication easier for you and them. In addition, explaining tasks and sharing ideas together will lessen the distance between the team’s workers. You will all be one unit doing its best for the benefit of all!