How to become a better delegator

By Jon Lokhorst, CPA, PCCExecutive Leadership Coach, Lokhorst Consulting

Ineffective delegation is a leadership limiter. Leaders who don’t effectively delegate end up performing tasks that would be better handled by other team members, taking valuable time from crucial leadership functions like strategic thinking, critical problem solving, and staff development. Leaders who don’t delegate also stunt their team members’ growth, keeping them from developing essential skills.

To elevate your delegation skills, you must eliminate the barriers getting in your way. Only then can you develop a clear plan to help you become a more consistent delegator.

Elimate these barriers

Whether you say them out loud or silently to yourself, these common statements are barriers that prevent you from elevating your delegation skills.

"I can do it better myself” or “I can do it faster myself.” Break the cycle by recognizing the value of having team members gain the experience needed to become as good and fast as you in completing those tasks. And, even if your team members only get to 80% of your speed and expertise, it still frees you to focus on activities more suitable for your leadership role.

"I don’t have time to teach them how to do it.” This denies the return on investment of your upfront time to teach one of your team members skills they’ll inevitably need and that your team can benefit from. For example, in one coaching session, a client performed a ROI calculation on the time required to teach and coach one of his team members to take over a routine weekly report. He learned that within six to eight weeks, he would recoup his upfront investment of time, freeing up nearly an entire afternoon every week.

Develop a clear plan

Once you’re ready to break through these barriers, you can start developing a plan for more effective delegation. I recommend following these seven steps:

Plan ahead. Watch your calendar for upcoming projects that’ll work well for potential delegation opportunities. This will allow enough time for the delegation process to take shape. Encourage your team to do the same as they become familiar with recurring projects and workflow.

Define the task. It’s crucial to know your deadline, desired outcome, and the steps needed to get there to set your team members up for success. Also, consider breaking larger projects into smaller chunks and whether sharing them among multiple team members is better.

Pick the right person. Ensure the team member has the right skills and experience for the job, in addition to the capacity to complete the task based on your deadline and their workload.

Clarify your expectations. Help your team member see what constitutes success for the project, spelling out the desired outcome and deadline. Then, invite your team member to creatively think about how the job can be completed successfully using an alternative path.

Confirm their understanding. Begin by simply asking them to describe the project to you. Then, ask about the areas they have questions on or where they anticipate potential sticking points as they proceed.

Offer resources. Let your team member know where to go for help when needed. Encourage resourcefulness while providing guidance on how long you want the team member to struggle on their own before seeking help.

Follow up on progress. Ask your team member to provide status reports on their progress with the project. Additionally, schedule reminders on your calendar to follow up in case they drop the ball. Identifying problems midstream will enable you to avoid negative surprises and redirect efforts as needed.

Reprinted with permission of the Illinois CPA Society.