Delegating is a science.  No, delegating is an art. Wait, it’s both.  Yes, you can learn the techniques of delegating…learning what to delegate, to whom you should delegate and when you should or shouldn’t delegate.  That’s the science part of delegating.

Where the art comes in is often where managers make mistakes when delegating.  Let’s take a look.

Before you can delegate a task you have to be clear on its importance.  Too often managers because of being overwhelmed themselves simply push off a task to someone, perhaps anyone that seems to have time to handle.  That’s a big mistake. What’s the impact of this task to the team, the company, the customer or other stakeholders? If you aren’t clear as a manager on the significance of the task get clear before delegating!

Communication is always key.  There are so many ways for communication to impact the success or not when delegating a task.  At each place where you have poor, ineffective or incomplete communication in the process it is setting you, and whoever you delegate to, up for an unhappy ending.

1. Lack of clarity about what you want.  If you are crystal clear in your own mind about what you want as an outcome you won’t communicate it to someone else.
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3. Forgetting to be specific about the task.  What needs to be done specifically?  This is what I refer to as terms and conditions of satisfaction.  It includes what needs to be done, by when, how it will look when completed, who needs to be involved and what is the end result you want.  It’s the who, what, when, where and even the why.  
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5. Not including regular check-in points.  Small tasks don’t require regular check-ins but anything larger does, and anything supercritical and significant absolutely must.  Too often managers assign a task and wait till the due date. This is mistake number four.
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7. Ignoring a communication loop.  While having check-in points will help you determine if the project is off track, it won’t help if the checkpoints are too far apart.  A communication loop means that the one who is handling the task is expected to touch base with you if there is a problem they need resources or help.  They, nor you, can wait for you to ask how things are going.
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9. Not confirming their understanding. It starts when you initially outline the details of the project.  Do they know what you want? How do you know they do? Are they clear about the communication loop and what that means?  Assuming they ‘get it’ and moving on to the next meeting or agenda item you have won’t ensure you get the results you are expecting. 
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11. Assuming they are committed and will get it done.  Most managers I work with tell me they assume when they assign a task it will get done.  And assuming is a big mistake. Just because you ask does not mean they are committed. You have to ask them if there is anything that would prevent them from completing what needs to be done by the due date.
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13. Not asking enough questions.  This is perhaps the single biggest mistake managers make…not asking enough questions.  Managers often spout information, wait for someone to ask questions and when there are no questions they move on.  Take the time to ask questions and don’t assume just because they don’t it will all work out.

Acknowledging and kudos.  Managers assign and step away.  They forget that the project may mean overtime or missing their kid’s baseball game to meet the deadline.   Managers may overlook the level of responsibility and accountability that was taken. As the project progresses remember to say thank you and acknowledge their contribution and personal sacrifice if one was made.  When it’s all done take the time to be specific about what they did really well and what you appreciated. 

Delegating techniques can be taught.  Adding the human component is the art.

Do you find that you delegate something and what you get back is far different from what you asked for?  Have you delegated a task only to find yourself redoing it costing time and creating a lot of frustration?  All of this and more could be because you are making mistakes when you delegate.  Find out what your delegation style is by clicking the link below and taking our Delegation Quiz.