Delegating tasks in practice – check out how to do it!

Are you a manager and wondering whether it is worth delegating tasks to employees? If so, you need to know that delegating responsibilities is one of the most important things you can do for both yourself and your colleagues. It allows you to fully focus on getting the job done. What’s more, employees get the chance to become more involved in a particular project. You, on the other hand, can devote your full attention to key clients.

On the surface, the process of delegating tasks seems a bit complicated. In reality, it is a skill that can be developed – including by acquiring theoretical knowledge. The process of delegating tasks is one of the most important procedures in the company, although it is not always precisely written out. To help you with this, in the following article we will tell you what delegation is, when to do it, why you should share responsibilities among your employees and why some employers abandon the process. We will also give you practical tips on what delegating tasks to employees should look like.

What is task delegation?

What does delegation actually mean? It is nothing more than delegating specific tasks and initiatives to individual team members. By delegating tasks, it will be possible, among other things, to distribute tasks evenly. Moreover, you will be able to control the progress of the work. Knowing how to delegate tasks will also make you a better supervisor in the eyes of your employees – they will see that you are organised and consistent, thus gaining the respect and esteem you dream of.

When to delegate tasks?

There is no one simple answer to this question. Delegating tasks should depend on, among other things, the specific project, the competence of the individual members of your team and the time you have available to complete the task. Before you delegate a task, answer the following questions:

• Is there a person on your team who has the information and competence necessary to complete the task?
• Will the chosen task be a development opportunity for the employee in question?
• Do the chosen tasks match the employee’s priorities?
• Will similar tasks arise in the future?
• Do you have the time to delegate tasks appropriately to employees (taking into account the need to provide guidance, explain the project and answer any questions)?
• Is there anything you should work on yourself?
• Will any mistakes affect the whole project?
• In the event of a failure, will you find time to rectify any mistakes made by an employee?

Remember that not all answers have to be yes. Once you have asked yourself these types of questions, you will know whether selected tasks are worth delegating to employees or whether it might be better to do them yourself.

Why is it important to delegate tasks to employees?

Individual tasks, delegated to individual employees, are very important for the proper functioning of a business. Why?

First of all, delegating tasks allows you to maximise the efficiency and productivity of your employees. In addition, sharing tasks and the associated responsibility with employees shows that you trust them and have confidence in their abilities and competence. You must also remember that sharing large projects with your employees shows that you value teamwork. This will help to strengthen working relationships – everyone will know that success depends on all team members working hard together.

Delegating tasks also has benefits for you as a manager or head of a smaller company. Sharing responsibilities prevents professional burnout. Why? You don’t have all the tasks on your plate, so you can slow down a bit and focus on supervising your employees, another really interesting project and self-development. If you do everything yourself, after a while you may find that you no longer enjoy work as much as you used to because there is simply too much going on.

Being able to delegate properly is an opportunity to become an active and effective leader. It is also an opportunity for employees – properly divided responsibilities allow them to develop in their chosen area of interest. It will also be possible to monitor the progress that is taking place – both in terms of employee competence and the completion of individual projects.

Why do employers give up on delegating tasks?

Although there are many benefits to be gained from delegating tasks to employees, many employers and managers are still reluctant to implement the process. Why is this the case? Here are some possible reasons for this:

• a manager or other supervisor is in his or her role for the first time and does not know what tasks to delegate to his or her employees or colleagues, when to do it and how to assign or delegate to others,
• the supervisor fears that explaining how to do a task will take more time than doing it (in most cases, the opposite is true),
• the manager does not know the priority of a certain project and therefore does not want to take the risk and delegate it to someone else,
• the manager wants to tackle the project of interest himself (even though the members of his team are competent to do so),
• the manager struggles with feelings of guilt about delegating tasks to employees – he or she feels bad about burdening employees with extra work or a large number of tasks to be performed,
• the manager does not fully know the competences of his/her employees – thus he/she is not sure whether he/she can delegate a specific task to a selected employee.

Despite your doubts, remember that it is worth delegating tasks to employees. Sometimes, however, it will be necessary to change your attitude or to catch up – e.g. on the importance of projects or the competences of individual employees. Get the necessary information and increase the effectiveness of your professional activities.

Delegating tasks – 10 practical tips

Many studies in recent years show that effective delegation of tasks has a major impact on effective work, business efficiency and team spirit. Here are 10 tips to help you delegate tasks correctly to your employees.

Consider if and what responsibilities you want to delegate

Before delegating tasks to your employees, think about which activities you want to delegate to them and whether they should definitely be delegated. Remember that not every project should be delegated to someone else. If it is of crucial importance to the company, it is better if you take care of it yourself. You can, of course, delegate important tasks to employees. But before you do, make sure they have the knowledge and skills to carry out your instructions.

Which tasks are worth delegating? Above all, those that will be repetitive. An employee who takes the time to prepare for a particular project will know what they need to do and how to do it in the future.

Also delegate tasks that are in line with your employee’s interests and career goals. If you know that he or she is interested in the chosen area and would like to develop in it, give him or her a chance when the opportunity arises. You can be sure that such an employee will fully commit to the project – it is much easier to show interest when a topic is of particular interest to us or when the project is in line with our dream career path.

Trust your employees

The biggest difficulty in delegating tasks to employees involves the need to let go and show full trust in individual team members. By entrusting them with important tasks, you are putting their real-world experience and skills in the field to the test.

On the one hand, it is good to have a tool to check their experience. On the other hand, delegating tasks is not only about trust shown to employees and checking their skills. It is also about delegating tasks for which you are still responsible. The process can be tough – especially for first-time managers. Give yourself time and show patience – both to yourself and to your team members.

Prioritise clearly

Prioritising individual tasks is crucial to the success of a project. The process of delegating tasks requires you to think about their priority beforehand. This will enable you to make the right decision.

If you know that a particular project and related task is very important, do it yourself or indicate its high importance by delegating it to an employee. Make it clear that the order is to be completed as quickly as possible or requires a very high level of focus. The employee needs to know that what he or she has to do is important for the project.

A good solution in this case would be to use a project management tool. This will allow both you and your colleagues to check in real time the priorities of the various tasks and the timeframe in which they need to be completed. This will make your work much more efficient.

Pay attention to the employee’s competences and skills

As we mentioned earlier, delegating responsibilities to an employee should be based on their competence and skills. When delegating specific tasks, make sure that your chosen employees will be able to carry them out or are willing to expand their knowledge in the field. To this end, take the time to get to know your employees’ interests. Talk to them and find out what they are so curious about and what area they would like to develop in. Remember that responsible and effective entrepreneurs care about their employees and aim to implement the most effective solutions.

Provide employees with the necessary instructions

In order for the task you have instructed to be carried out correctly, you must equip the employee with all the necessary information that concerns them. The most important things you need to provide are:

• instructions on how to perform the task,
• deadlines related to the project,
• documentation,
• tools to perform the task,
• the priority of the task/project and your expected outcome,
• information about work related to the project.

When delegating tasks to employees, remember to show patience – what is simple and obvious to you may be new and difficult for them.

Invest in training

If you find, in conversation with an employee, that they don’t have all the skills necessary to complete the tasks you’ve given them, consider investing in training. If you don’t have the time to train an employee yourself, you can hire an external company or purchase a training package to help improve the necessary skills. Why invest in employee development?

First of all, it is a long-term investment. An employee’s new skills will not only be useful during one particular project – they will certainly be used in the future. In addition, by deciding to train an employee, you are influencing both their development and the higher quality of services provided by your company. What should you pay attention to when training an employee?

Firstly, focus on the topics that cause him problems. Secondly, teach him or her to think independently, so that he or she gains confidence. Your employee doesn’t know how to do a task? Don’t give him a ready-made solution. Ask questions and encourage them to find out for themselves. This will help him/her find his/her way around any situation in the future.

Emphasise communication

Communication is a very important part of the delegation process. Above all, it is important to report any problems that arise. An open and frank conversation will help to clarify any misunderstandings and miscommunication. Remember to make sure, after delegating tasks, that employees have been given all the necessary information and tools to complete them. Perhaps you accidentally forgot something?

Ensure a friendly atmosphere and mutual trust. It is important that the employee is not afraid to report obstacles that have arisen during the completion of projects. Most entrepreneurs rely on a serious tone, which often prevents free and frank communication. Conduct conversations with employees so that they see you as both a supervisor and a friend who can help them solve any problems they may have.

Also pay attention to feedback on the delegation process itself. Perhaps employees will have some new suggestions? Listen to them and adapt the process to their preferences if necessary.

Focus on results

When delegating responsibilities to employees, bear in mind that your team members will not perform the tasks assigned to them exactly as you would. There is nothing wrong with that! At first, you may think that the project does not look like it should. In reality, in most cases it just looks different. Instead of worrying about the different execution style, focus on the results achieved. If they are satisfactory – the solutions applied are correct and sufficient.

Trust, but control

Once tasks have been delegated, let employees do them. Stand at a safe distance and give them space to share their knowledge and skills. Show them trust and confidence in their abilities. This will make them feel much more confident, which will affect the effectiveness of the activities they perform.

However, remember to include control in the process of delegating and carrying out individual tasks. Make sure that your employees give you a partial account of their work by a predetermined date. This will keep you up to date and give you time to correct any mistakes.

Appreciate and motivate employees

Don’t forget to appreciate your employees – this is the best motivation for them to continue working. If they have followed your instructions correctly – show that you are satisfied with them. Don’t take credit for them – just praise them (when they deserve it, of course).

Delegating tasks – the ideal way to work efficiently!

Delegating tasks to employees is a proven solution for working effectively and efficiently. It will both develop your management skills and support the professional development of your employees. Remember to use the right project management tool. It will enable you and your team members to see deadlines and progress on individual projects.