Go Forth and Delegate: 4 Steps Leaders Need to Keep Delegation Simple

For many of the leaders I work with, delegation is a real struggle. Leaders resist delegating because we are so accustomed to doing the work ourselves. Many times, fear will rear its ugly head, thinking that if we want the work done correctly, we must do it ourselves. And then there is the time issue of communicating and training others to complete the task for us.

Ahhh, but the benefits of delegation far outweigh the negativity that surrounds this elusive skill. When we delegate, we have more time for our high-priority tasks and we actually get to experience the joy of completing our tasks! Delegation increases our productivity and is a much better use of our resources.  Delegation gives us freedom.

True, there are some tasks best kept to ourselves such as personal matters, confidential activities, crises, and activities that are specifically delegated to us. However, we can delegate paperwork, routine tasks, technical matters, tasks with developmental potential, and employee problems.

Since we are not born with the delegation gene, we must learn this skill. It’s not as hard as you think! Just follow these four simple steps and you will be delegating before you know it:

1. Explain the need for delegating, including the reasons why you selected that person to complete the task.

2. Clearly set the objectives defining responsibility, level of authority, and deadlines.

3. Develop a plan to achieve objectives, resources, and give the authority necessary to obtain those resources.

4. Establish an accountability plan with checkpoints.

Which step is trickiest for you?

Now go forth, delegate, and prosper!

With love,

Maria

• Abundance
• Action
• Collaboration
• Communication
• Cooperation
• Culture
• Influence
• Intuition
• Leadership
• Leadership shift
• Love
• Love-Based Leadership
• Mindfulness
• Motivation
• Power
• Presence
• Significance
• Source
• Team
• Transparency
• Uncategorized
• Vision
• Vulnerability

Got Meaning?

Did you know the majority of heart attacks occur around nine o’clock on Monday mornings?

One study showed that the most common factor in these heart attacks was that the victims were people whose work had become joyless striving. In other words, they could not find meaning in their work, and their lives had become so out of balance that, one Monday morning, their bodies said, “You are not going to work today. Zap.”1

I remember a discussion I had with the general manager of a regional division, discussing with him the importance of finding meaning in work for our employees and leaders. His response was, “I think meaning at work is over-rated.” Overrated? We spend the vast majority of our adult lives at work.

One of the primary purposes of a leader is to inspire vision and motivation in those he or she leads, and few things are more inspiring and motivating than meaningful work.If we don’t have meaning…what do we have?

We must know the “why” behind the things we do, or we are at unrest and certainly unmotivated.

As always, I welcome your input. What is the most meaningful aspect of your job and why?

With love,

Maria

1. J. A .Autrey, & S. Mitchell, Real power: Business lessons from the Tao Te Ching (New York: Riverhead Books, 1998), p. 23.