Preparing Employees for Delegation
- Find out what employees already know about the task. With this knowledge, you can communicate more efficiently, without losing employees' attention or insulting their intelligence.
- Give a reason why explanation. Employees who understand the purpose of projects tend to commit themselves more fully to completing those projects.
- Provide an example or illustration of the task.
- Make it clear that you welcome questions. Employees may feel embarrassed or afraid to reveal their lack of knowledge about a subject or task. Reassure them that you are happy to answer any questions they might have.
- Work with employees at the beginning of new projects to provide the encouragement and instruction they need.
Making Delegation Effective
You can do several things to increase your effectiveness in delegation. For delegation to work, your staff must have a clear understanding of their responsibilities, the extent of their authority, and the results that they are expected to produce.
- Select the employees who have the ability to do the job according to their experience and knowledge.
- Make sure your expectations are clearly understood.
- Let employees know you believe in their ability to carry out the task.
- Clearly define the employees' authority and responsibility.
- Monitor progress and establish feedback mechanisms.
- Establish deadlines and milestones.
- Empower employees by giving them the latitude to use their own imagination and initiative.
- Reward employees for the positive results they produce.
- Provide constructive feedback.