Delegating work to suitable persons is one of the quintessential responsibilities of a manager. But so many managers shy away from delegating tasks or fail to do it effectively. The inability to do so can cripple the productivity of any operation.

It is therefore, essential for managers to learn how to delegate effectively with an aim to improve productivity.

Here are some simple tips that elucidate the do’s and don’ts of delegating.

Do’s

Be Prepared to Train

If you are delegating a particular task for the first time, then odds are that whomever you assign the task to will require some level of training. Be prepared to offer the necessary training to an employee you deem capable of handling the task.

Remember, the time and energy you spend on such an employee is an investment that will contribute productively to your future work goals.

As a manager you must keep the end game in mind and training a capable candidate can yield great dividends down the line.

Provide The Necessary Resources

When delegating work to an associate or employee, always provide them with the necessary tools and information to finish the task. If they require access to certain information or particular tools in order to carry out the task, make sure that these things are readily available to them. Make necessary preparations in advance if need be, so that once you assign the task they can begin right away.

Be Patient

Once you have assigned the task to a suitable person, be patient with them, especially if it’s their first time handling such responsibility. Needlessly haranguing them every chance you get, will serve no productive purpose.

All it would do is lessen the quality of results, reduce morale and discourage that person from seeking more responsibilities in the future.

Check on Progress

While you should exercise patience after assigning a task, it is equally important to keep checking the progress from time to time. You can create milestones corresponding to the timeframe to check up on progress of the work. As you assign a task to an employee let them know about the milestones and that you will be checking in to make sure that progress is on track.

Don’ts

Don’t Let Your Ego Get in the Way

Don’t let your ego get in the way of successful completion of a task. You may think that you have to do this task because no one can do it as good as you.

It may even be true that you could do a better job than many.

But being a manager, your efforts may be required at other, more important tasks. No matter how good you may be, you cannot be everywhere all the time. Learn to accept limitations and work around them to get to your goal.

Don’t Micromanage

 Once you have assigned as task to an employee, don’t peer over their shoulder while they work on it. With you breathing down their neck the employee is more likely to make mistakes than not.

Micromanaging delegated tasks can often become a hindrance to task completion.

Don’t Expect Perfection:

Often in trying to make something perfect, precious time is wasted. Keep in mind that, as a manager, this is not the only task that has been entrusted to you. While quality of work is important, getting hung up on every tiny little detail is counterproductive.

Adhere to a set standard of quality and allocate a practical timeframe to achieve that quality of results.

Don’t Delegate at the Last Minute

Delegating a task as a last ditch effort is never going to work. Setting practical goals within a practical timeframe is the only way that delegating work can yield expected results.

Don’t be Too Harsh if Results Fall Short

Failure is part of the learning process. If an employee falls short of expectations in delivering results in a delegated task, do not be too harsh on them. Punishing such employees will discourage them as well as others from volunteering for such tasks in future. Instead, let them know where they went wrong and what they could have done differently to achieve better results. This will help them improve in future and make them eager and willing to take on more responsibilities.