Delegation is far from an easy decision to make because it first calls into question one’s own work. We will therefore have to let go and at the same time pass on tasks that were assigned to us and often that we took pleasure in carrying out. Focus on delegation
It is true that work is always best done by yourself and above all that if you do it yourself it will go faster. But you know well that you do not have the gift of ubiquity and you cannot do the taskss of your employees at the risk of slowing down the development of the company. Often a little voice comes to comfort the manager with the idea of not delegating “what is the point of delegating to my colleaguesurs? It would take me longer to explain it to them than to do it myself! “.
Change posture
You will thus move from the status of the one who does everything, essential day and night, to that of manager who manages a hybrid and connected team. By delegating more, you allow your employees to take initiatives and responsibilities, while developing their potential. They will also be grateful to you.
However, delegating does not mean disengaging. This approach is based above all on trust in others and the ability to entrust them with part of their decision-making power or value-added responsibilities. The delegation can be total or partial. In all cases, its limits must be clearly defined and recorded in a written document or collaborative tool in order to avoid any ambiguity.
At the same time, your priority must remain what specifically relates to your role as manager: team coordination, strategy, vision in the era of artificial intelligence, among others. Indeed, if you spend too much time on operational activities, you risk neglecting your essential functions and, above all, slowing down the growth of your business.
What reasons can prevent delegation for a manager:
The manager must carefully analyze the obstacles that prevent him from leading a delegation wisely, such as:
- Failing to identify employees capable of handling delegation
- Not having time to select the tasks to delegate and choose a possible delegate
- Lack of self-confidence also linked or perhaps lack of confidence in one’s own colleagues
- Losing power results in unconscious fear.
- But also the fear of encountering criticism from employees
“That they are not paid to do this” “What financial compensation do you offer them” And the fear of exacerbating jealousies between employees. You will need to think carefully in advance to get rid of paralyzing fears.
Ask yourself the reasons for the delegation You will therefore need to:
- Identify value-added tasks,
- Identify tasks without added value
- Identify tasks that need skills
You need to delegate but you don’t wait to be overwhelmed by your multiple urgent activities to delegater:
- Who to delegate to? You will have to choose the right person and therefore identify the skills of each of your collaborators in order to determine who will be best suited to receive the delegation.
- What missions or tasks to delegate? The manager must precisely identify the mission he is ready to delegate and prepare to explain to the selected delegatee the reasons for his choice and his precise mission.
What are Feedbacks?
It is essential to formalize the precise contours of the delegation and the related control method. This formalization validates the commitment of the manager and the delegatee and sets the scope and limits of this delegation. You delegate, of course, but it is not a question of purely and simply getting rid of a task and no longer worrying about it when it comes time to follow up in agile mode.
Some principles for the manager
Before beginning any delegation process, it is essential to have a correct understanding of the meaning of your delegation:
- Delegation is not a chore to be relieved of
- Delegation is not imposed on an employee but acquired by consent
- Delegation involves being explicit and transparent about objectives and expected results
- Delegation involves providing the technical, financial and human resources to carry out the delegation.
Please note, employees may refuse delegation for the following reasons:
- Lack of self-confidence
- Fear of commitment
- Fear of the content of responsibility
- Refusal of a specific charge
- The difficulty of managing an additional workload
- Apprehension of various criticisms
- Fear of standing out from colleagues
All these reasons should not discourage the leader, on the contrary, his role is reactivated.
Delegate to ensure the smooth running of the company Employees are surely in the best position to know what to do and how to act in their daily lives. Delegating means giving the initiative to those closest to the field. So it’s youprovide the opportunity to discover the potential of your employees and give them the opportunity to show their value.
