Why is it so hard for managers to pass on responsibility to their colleagues? What is it with letting go of tasks? Is it because we are afraid of losing an enjoyable part of our job or are we scared that the person we pass the responsibility on to will not do the job properly?
The problem with delegation is that it can be a slow process, especially in the early stages. There are always concerns that you will actually end up much busier because you will need to spend additional time coaching and training your colleagues. However, developing your staff is a vital part of your job which takes courage, patience and skill and in the long run, it will create great benefits for you and your organisation. For example, it will create valuable time for you to concentrate on those areas that are really business critical, it will motivate your staff and help them to take responsibility and it will also satisfy you on a personal level, seeing your staff grow and develop.
A great way to delegate appropriately is by knowing your people; once you truly know your people, it will help you to identify what to delegate and to whom. Make a list of all the things you can & cannot delegate, then identify the skills your team already has and match them against the tasks you would like to delegate. This way will also help you to create an individual development plan, knowing what skills already exist and what else needs to be learnt to enable your staff to do a specific job. Make people aware of your own standards and what is expected of them but be aware that mistakes do happen – it’s only natural and your colleagues will still need your support. Let go and teach your people to take responsibility.
You can learn much more about delegation in our Essential Management Skills open course which will give you a greater insight into how to handle any potential challenges and if you need any informal advice on this subject, please get in touch with me and I will be happy to help.
Marina Wirkner
marina@phoenix-training.co.uk
If you have just obtained your first managerial position or even if you are an experienced manager who might be wondering how you can become a better manager then there are a number of key skills which will significantly ease the way. These tips have been generated over many years and have stood the test of time. So let’s get to it:
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Richard John – Associate Trainer, specialises in sales, marketing & management & more recently presentation creativity & the use of competences in training & development.![Reblog this post [with Zemanta]](http://img.zemanta.com/reblog_e.png?x-id=8afa0a45-b8e3-4cb1-9380-9ac4310dde74)
