People Management

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Delegating That Sticks

from Harvard ManageMentor

One of the purposes of delegation is to help your team members develop professionally. Here are a few tips to hone their problem solving skills once you’ve delegated work:

1.  Make yourself let go

Approach your team from a leadership perspective and encourage in them a sense of ownership and accountability so you’re more comfortable in delegating tasks.

2.  Ask, don’t tell

Skilled delegators know to ask questions, rather than dictate orders. This teaches people to come up with proposed solutions next time they come to you with a problem.

3.  Match tasks to people

Delegate in ways that enable people to stretch, and treat mistakes as growth opportunities. Explain your assessment of their capabilities so they understand why you’re handing certain tasks to them.

4.  Cultivate independent thinking

The more your team members think independently and have a sense of ownership in their role, the better they’ll be to deal with issues themselves as they arise. Set clear guidelines as to responsibilities, the level of knowledge they should have, and how much authority they have to make decisions.

5.  Link people with resources

Linking people with the resources they need to solve problems can be valuable. For instance, you may direct them to an information source, other people, tools or resources that can help them resolve issues on their own.