IMPORTANT TIPS FOR LEADERS IN DELEGATING TASK

JANICE S. MANALESE

One of the most important aspects a leader should remember is delegating. Delegating is something that a true leader should consider when leading a team. Delegating is a skill and strength, not a weakness. As a leader, you are bombarded with many different responsibilities which you cannot execute entirely by yourself and considering the fact that you have to hit the target dates. You will be able to finish all if you delegate some task to your members. In order to become an effective leader, you have to consider many important facts about delegating. The following are important know how tips to consider when delegating:

1. Know the reasons why you should delegate

Three of the most important reasons for delegating work are project timeline, the qualified person, and the skills of the team needed for the work. Before giving the task to your members, these three important reasons should be given emphasis first to be able to have a successful meaningful product in the end.

2. Know when to not delegate a task

Excusing yourself to work is never a reason why a leader delegates a task. You should always remember that as the leader, you will always be accountable for the success or failure of your team. The task can be delegated but the responsibility remains to you as the leader.

3. Open up for suggestions

The success of a working group depends upon their team work and the strategy they plan to use in accomplishing the task. To be able to bring out the best from your team, you need to motivate them by opening your doors to suggestions. You may be the leader of your team but you have to admit that you don’t know everything.

4. Clarify directions

For everyone to be on the same page, you have to carefully discuss to the group the task you need to accomplish and how you’ll be doing it as a team. Make sure that you monitor and guide the person you have delegated during the working process to make sure that things are being done accordingly. Tasks that are quite vague to you should never be delegated. If you pass over to your members a task that isn’t clear to you, you will most probably use moat of your efforts answering questions and at worst cases, redo the task. Both the entire team will feel frustrated, and the task will suffer.

5. Delegate the right person for the right job

It is very important that the task you are delegating to a person matches his skills and strengths. The situation will dictate who would be suited for the task and that would depend entirely on what should be done. The level of expertise also matters in delegating a task. Never delegate a rookie to work on a complex task, instead choose a person who have done the project before or someone who’s considered to be an expert in that field. Project circumstances will dictate. If your delegating a work to a newbie because you want to train him, then you have to make sure that you assign a buddy for him to help him out during the process.

— oOo—

The author is Head Teacher I at Northville High School, Division of City of San Fernando, Pampanga