Delegating Work Will Not Make You Redundant

The words “Delegate” is the bane of many a Manager while some others take it in their stride and excel at their jobs. The problem arises when you are not able to define what delegation really means. Most of the time people think delegation means letting somebody else do their job for them which may eventually make them redundant. It’s a fear psychosis which needs to be overcome because only then will you be able to function better and grow in your positions.

Effective delegation is one of the major keys to effective management today and if carried out properly will give you time to concentrate and focus on more important aspects of your job like organizing, managing, forecasting and planning.

The first thing to understand is that delegation is all about giving the right to your subordinates to make decisions towards a task and carry them out in a more creative and faster way than you would probably do. The overall responsibility of the delegated project still remains with you. If this fact is understood, it would bring a lot of relief to many a tight fisted supervisor.    

At times Managers do not delegate citing the reason that it takes a lot of time to teach someone else how to do a job which they assume they are in the best position to carry out. However, the chances are that after the initial briefings the person will be able to accomplish the task in a more productive manner as long as you have chosen the right person based on his expertise and knowledge.

Encourage individuals to work using their own methods as this will allow you to exploit their specialized skills and knowhow. Initially, it is recommended that you follow up on the work produced and provide constructive feedback. Remember that at first it may look like things are not progressing the way you had envisioned them but that’s natural. Try to recall how long it took you to master the task and earnestly mentor the person towards success.

Employees love challenges just as much as you do and delegating responsibility to make their own decisions will motivate them to work smarter and in turn will help you be an endearing and successful Manager.