There are so many benefits to delegation. That doesn't mean it is easy.
Becoming more effective at delegating has so many benefits. My top 4 benefits are listed below. I have added some extra ones below, just in case you need more convincing.
The benefits of delegation
Train and Develop your team capabilities
A leader who looks for opportunities to build their team’s skills is constantly aware of the teams abilities and capabilities. They look for opportunities to develop people by empowering and delegating tasks and projects. Everyone comes with the mindset of sharing, developing and supporting each other to succeed.
Identify weaknesses and strengths
Delegated tasks can help someone take a strength and strengthen it further. You can also identify a weakness or gap in skill or knowledge and give someone responsibility which develops them. If you don't work with team members on their weaker areas, they will never build the skills to be the "right person, right role".
Align Tasks and Projects to Achieve the Goal
People love to use their brilliance. During the planning and organising stage of management, think about the process or goal in its entirety. Look at the milestones, skills and tasks that are needed to achieve the goal early, and assign tasks based on peoples brilliance. When people feel like they are doing a good job, and are recognised for it, they become more motivated and engaged.
Build Connection
I love to delegate projects, working groups or forums to people so they can broaden their network and learn more about the business and other functions. Projects that interact with other key departments and individuals is a great development activity and moves it from your to do list to theirs. These connections help support culture, create a sense of belonging, develop team building and loyalty. It break down walls and inter-departmental issues.
- Balance of workloads. Done right. everyone in the team shares the responsibilities and work. No-one is more loaded than someone else. Their work matches their personal effectiveness and the effort it takes them.
- Less stress – If you know everyone is clear on who is doing what, by when, then there will be less stress and more transparency.
- Gives you more time to do the value adding work – Your ultimate job to ensure that the work/project/jobs get done. You create the momentum and the oil to keep things moving. You also have to plan, vision, organise, do the performance conversations, attend meetings and all of those other administration tasks that can't be delegated. By delegating you get time to do your job.
- More skilled, diverse and flexible team – A manager is only as strong as their team. When your team can function even when you're not there, you know you have it working. The more experience members get, the more flexible you and the team become.
- Greater productivity and efficiency – A team with various skills that can be applied to multiple tasks means you can increase work around tight deadlines or peak periods with out fear.
- Knowledge and skills development - When team members begin to train and develop others, knowledge is shared. Passing on skills and knowledge is actually a great learning tool for both parties. It also feels good.
- Confidence - Delegation promotes self-esteem as it tends to show that the leader has trust and confidence in the team members. No-one grows by doing the same work over and over again. Having interesting and challenging work feels good and being trusted to complete a job raises self-esteem.
- Motivation - When we feel capable, trusted and competent, we tend to want to repeat the action or activity. It is one of the core motivators. We all love to accomplish things, and become motivated to do it well.
- Succession planning – One of the hardest things to do is find talent. So if you nurture and cultivate the talent you already have, then when an opportunity arises, you have a talent pool waiting and ready to step up.
- Higher employee retention – And if people feel like there are opportunities for them, they are more likely to hang around. If you don't open doors for them, they will leave.
But Remember
#1 Delegating does not eliminate accountability
You are still responsible. You might give responsibility to someone else to get the job done, but you as the delegator is ultimately accountable for the success or failure of the task. You still need to check in, provide resources, training, time and support.
#2 Take the flack but give the praise
If things go wrong, it is on you. When things go well, give your team member the credit. Everyone knows you were the leader. You don't need to say it. Giving the credit to the person who did more of the work is a good leadership.
#3 Delegating does mean letting go
You will have to let go of control. You can't delegate then start micromanaging. It will not get your desired outcome. Of course you could probably do the job just as well, better maybe, but how will anyone ever be as good as you if you don't let them.
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