Delegation is an effective way to manage a project collaboratively. Delegating signals confidence in your team, which in turn, harnesses their skills and capabilities. A good project manager leads and empowers the team by trusting them to get the work done.
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Benefits of Delegating Project Tasks
Many managers under-delegate, simply refusing to share tasks. They buy into the management myth that managers should do everything themselves. Under-delegating leads to overworked managers, frustrated teams, and unsuccessful projects. Other managers over-delegate. They lose touch with the project whilst their team frantically tries to stay on top of the workload.
Delegation offers several benefits to a project manager:
- Free up your own time to manage the project
- Leverage the skills of your team to deliver new ideas and better results
- Allow your team members to develop new skills and knowledge for future projects
- Balance the workload amongst the team.
Delegation is an important skill which project managers should cultivate. With the right processes and knowledge, you can quickly improve your delegation skills, and lead a happy project team!
We’ll walk you through seven tips to help you get started.
7 Ways to Improve Your Delegation Skills
1. Pick a task that you can and should delegate
While you should take responsibility for hiring a new team member, creating a weekly status report is a task that can be delegated to a team member.
2. Clearly define the task
What does the task entail? What is the deadline? Will you delegate full responsibility for decision-making on the task? These are some questions that you should consider before handing over the work.
3. Assess your team
Spend some time reviewing the skills and experiences of your team before deciding who is the best fit for the task. Depending on the scope and urgency of the requirements, this is also a good opportunity for a team member to learn a new skill or take on more responsibility for future projects
4. Prepare relevant resources
This can include formal briefing documents, meeting minutes, links to a document library and so on. If your schedule is hectic, you may also want to appoint an experienced team member to mentor the selected individual.
5. Handover the work – and step back!
Delegating a task also means handing over responsibility for the work. Allow individuals to use their skills and own the task. Be patient with their progress and remain open to new ideas.
6. Establish clear reporting structures
The frequency and format of reports will depend on the project and the task. Implementing a reporting structure maintains communication and also gives individuals an opportunity to discuss any challenges or issues.
7. Acknowledge the work
Celebrate the completion of the task and give credit for a job well done.
That’s it. Seven tips for effective delegation and a happy team. The next time that you start a task that you should delegate – read this article instead and pass on the work!
