How to delegate successfully

by William Mcmurray

Here are some tips for successfully delegating as a team lead or as a manager:

  • Clearly communicate responsibilities. Ensure everyone understands their specific responsibilities, tasks, deadlines, etc. Provide clear expectations and objectives.

  • Empower your team. Give them autonomy to work independently and make decisions. This will boost their confidence, motivation, and ownership. But still provide guidance when needed.

  • Match responsibilities to skills. Delegate responsibilities that match the skills, experience, and comfort levels of your team members. This sets them up for success.

  • Provide the necessary resources and tools. Make sure your team has everything they need to get their work done efficiently and effectively. Remove any roadblocks or dependencies.

  • Check-in regularly. Meet with your team regularly to check-progress, address any blockers, provide feedback, and make sure they are on track. Be available for additional check-ins as needed.

  • Coach and mentor. Use delegated responsibilities as an opportunity to coach your team members through challenges they face. Provide guidance and help them develop new skills.

  • Share accountability. Make it clear that while delegating ownership, you still hold your team accountable for the outcomes and responsibilities you have given them. Set clear consequences for lack of progress or quality work.

  • Recognize and reward good work. Provide praise and rewards when your team members exceed expectations. This will motivate them to continue improving their performance and skills.

  • Be flexible. Sometimes priorities and schedules change. Be willing to adapt responsibilities and timelines as needed. Communicate changes clearly to your whole team.

  • Gradually increase responsibilities over time. As your team members prove themselves capable and competent, provide them with additional responsibilities. This helps them grow into more senior roles.

  • Trust your team. Ultimately, you need to trust that your team has the skills and abilities to get work done. While overseeing them, give them space to problem-solve on their own. Earned trust is key.

I hope this gave you some insight on how to delegate properly !