This is the second in a two-part series of One Next Step where I joined the podcast to discuss the nuts and bolts of delegation.
Lisa and I talk about how to be effective at delegation, how much you should delegate, the differences between remote versus traditional workplaces, how to build a culture of delegation, and much more.
Here are some takeaways we shared:
1. A failure to delegate can be exhausting.
When you’re in that situation, you become the defacto go-to person in the area that you’re not delegating.
The better option is to find another leader you can trust with decision-making, make sure they have buy-in, and delegate that task to them.
For me, a warning sign of needing to delegate is when my to-do list becomes my too-long list.
If I’m spending time trying to execute too many things, it’s time to start handing some things off.
2. Delegation starts with trust.
Spend time getting to know your peers and the people working for you.
Seek to understand what drives them and identify those who have the potential to be next-level leaders. These are the people you can pour your knowledge into and trust to make decisions.
Leverage a strong project management tool in order to help your team be clear on the tasks they need to do to accomplish their overall projects and have constant communication backing it up.
3. Communication is the most important factor in successful delegation.
Our responsibility as leaders is not only to delegate and build those up around us but also to cast the vision upfront.
While we may not connect all of the dots, it still creates the shared vision of what you’re striving for as a team, as an organization, or within a project.
Clarity is always key, and you can’t have clarity without communication. You need to have articulated the right steps, the deadline, and a clear example of the outcome.
The worst situation is when someone has been delegated something but doesn’t have any details. There’s no way they can be successful – so always communicate!