The best leaders are those who know how to get things done on time by delegating tasks. They understand that they mustn’t do everything on their own but empower their teams instead. It’s not only about sharing the load but also about creating an environment where your workers thrive.

What is delegation in the first place?

This is the process of a leader dividing power and authority amongst their subordinates. This system is meant to share the responsibilities of a manager when their work goes beyond their capacity. It’s a valuable tool in keeping teams functional and organised.

Why are leaders reluctant to delegate?

While there is a host of benefits to delegation, many managers fail to do so, especially when they are new to their position. Some of the most common reasons why leaders are refusing to share the load with the team are that:

• They believe that delegating is merely passing off responsibility to another person thereby it’s a waste of resources and time.
• They are uncomfortable with telling people what to do, particularly if they were formerly on the same level as them.
• They think they are capable of accomplishing everything at a higher level of quality and efficiency compared to their subordinates.
• They are used to carrying the weight of the team and being the high performers so they’d rather help out than pass things off.
• They are nervous about assigning more work to their team as they’re unsure if they’re able to handle the additional tasks.

Why delegate tasks all the same

You may still have your reservations about dividing the assignments, but you must understand that the pros always outweigh the cons. Delegating will benefit not just you but also the rest of your team as well as the company through the following:

Building engagement, communication, and trust

When you don’t share the workload appropriately, you end up with workers who are apprehensive about giving new ideas or taking the initiative when dealing with projects. Delegation shows that you trust them and this is built upon when you listen and communicate with them.

Establishing a welcome and open company culture

Are you hoping to build a work environment where employees have high morale, productivity, enthusiasm, cooperation, and efficiency? Delegating gives you experts who are more likely to stay with your team, are highly qualified to tackle your tasks, and are aware of the risks involved.

Concentrating their efforts on organisation and planning

Many leaders believe that they have to do the brunt of the work in order to achieve success. This leads them to taking on more assignments than they’re capable of handling in an efficient way. Dividing the job means you get to focus on core business activities than routine tasks.

Letting their creativity roam free and develop

By giving each member of the team their own assignments, they are empowered to learn how to do things their way. This provides them opportunities to explore alternative methods for delivering quality results thereby pushing the business further than ever before.

Is it possible to delegate too much?

Now that you’re aware of the perks, there is another thing you must bear in mind. Delegation in the workplace falls under a spectrum where you may either be failing to delegate or you are delegating too much.

Here are the signs that you are not giving people enough responsibilities to handle:

• They avoid speaking with you about their output for fear that you might start micro-managing them.
• They refrain from talking during meetings because they don’t think their ideas matter to you.
• They constantly ask for help with their issues since you always take on the job for them.

Here are the signs that you are giving people too much responsibilities to handle instead:

• They steer clear of you during group discussions as they worry you might give them additional work.
• They get bored when you start talking during meetings because your topic isn’t relevant to them.
• They keep problems to themselves since you are unlikely to address them in an appropriate manner.

How do you know you must delegate?

There’s a fine line between under-delegating and over-delegating, and you really want to be somewhere in the middle. For that reason, you have to ask yourself the following questions to know if it’s time for you to delegate something or not:

• Are your workers equipped with the necessary talents and abilities to handle the job?
• Is it something you believe that they are interested in or enthusiastic about doing?
• Are they provided with the right amount of time, finances, manpower, and data for it?
• Do they understand what you are expecting from them and what you hope to achieve?
• Do they exude an aura of confidence when they are working even with minimal supervision?

How do you delegate more effectively?

Understand that delegation is more than just giving people a list of things to do. Rather, you must have a discussion with your subordinates about the things you are planning to pass on to them and what their thoughts are about them. Ensure that there is clarity regarding these factors:

• Any limitations to their power or authority related to the tasks, such as deadlines
• The process you shall be monitoring the progress of the work
• The metrics you will be referring to in determining good performance and success
• The details of the task and the objectives of the delegating you are doing
• The means of communication between them and the people you’re putting under them
• Your expectations on how they must send you reports or communicate any concerns

Delegating the job of hiring remote workers

You have to realise that there are some things you must take care yourself, including performance evaluations or disciplinary sanctions. There is one thing that is always better to outsource—recruiting virtual professionals! We at Remote Workmate are specialists in connecting you to online workers who suit your organisation.

Get started with hiring a Workmate today by clicking on the button right here.