Even as a leader, you can’t do everything in your team. Nor should you. Delegation is part of the art of management. It takes tasks out of your hands so you can focus on strategic initiatives, upskills your team members who get to learn as they go, as well as making them feel valued. However, it’s something that many managers struggle with. A study by the London Business School found that only 30% of managers think they’re effective delegators.
So, how can you get it right? In this article, with the help of MySalesCoach expert Dave Jacobson, we’ll lay out some strategies so you can delegate with confidence.
This article is part of the Essential Guide To Effective Sales Leadership.
We'll cover:
’In my experience, you should delegate tasks to people who have particular experience or expertise in what you’re asking them to do,’ - Dave Jacobson
For example, if you have someone with solid tech skills and you’re looking at some new software, consider getting them to help with selection and testing. It empowers them to have a voice in the process, as well as to be an advocate in the team, helping to drive implementation.
Try to delegate using principles like SMARTER:
When you delegate, give your team the authority to do whatever they have to in order to execute their tasks successfully. Everyone needs to know you have empowered that person or those people to get stuff done, and that they’re working with your blessing. You can set guardrails for the project, but give them enough room to manoeuvre.
Within the bounds of the tasks, you can give them further responsibilities, such as selecting people to help them. Keep them accountable by setting timelines, scheduling meetings to update on progress and, of course, coaching. Coaching will help them get the project back on track if they encounter obstacles.
‘By empowering your team to work on individual or team projects, you allow them to use their skills in ways that remind them what they’re good at.’ - Dave Jacobson
When you give someone extra responsibilities based on their existing skills, you give them the opportunity to show the rest of the team their expertise. It allows everyone the chance to learn and grow, as well as giving them ownership of the project’s results.
Compared to traditional, top-down initiatives, delegating is much more effective as an engagement tool for your team.
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The worst thing you can do is assign a project to someone who is not able to handle it. You’re essentially setting them up for a fall, which will demoralise them and make them look incompetent in front of their teammates. When you delegate, make sure the person or people you pick for the task have a chance of achieving success.
Sometimes, you’ll know exactly who the right person is for the job: the person who has everything it takes to excel. However, other times, you’ll need to have a discussion with your team members to assess their skills and see if they’re suitable.
Remember that sometimes, people in your team won’t have the confidence to volunteer, even if they’ve got the skills. As a leader, your job is to give them that confidence. Coaching is a highly effective way to achieve this.
Starting with smaller tasks and building to more significant responsibilities is an effective way to test team members' capabilities and commitment. It also makes delegating less risky.
When you give them the task, however small it may be, make sure they know why they’re doing it and how it delivers benefits, whether that’s internal or external.
‘It’s imperative for every person in every department - to understand why what they do is important to the organisation. I find that when people make this connection, they tend to rise to the occasion. It’s extraordinarily powerful.’ - Dave Jacobson
When you have sufficient confidence in someone that you can assign them complete responsibility for a task or project, you should expect total engagement and accountability on their part.
Again, make sure they have a complete understanding of expectations and are fully invested in the outcome. Tell them what the endpoint is, so they know where they’re going in the beginning. This makes it much easier for them to put everything together and get to that desired result.
‘You can assign a project to someone and tie one hand behind their back. You need to figure out exactly what’s possible, then give them tools to be able to achieve it.’ - Dave Jacobson
If you don’t give your people what they need to succeed, not only will they fail, they’ll have an excuse for failing. Remove those excuses by giving them whatever they need, whether that’s budget, authority, people, training, tools or anything else.
As you go along, they may come to you and tell you they need something else. Then you’ll have decisions to make. But, always try to give them what they need.
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’Here's the rule. No micromanagement allowed. Okay?’ - Dave Jacobson
Micromanagement takes away all the empowering benefits of delegation. If you feel the need to micromanage a project, it’s a reflection on you, not your people. If you find yourself micromanaging your people, take a step back and ask yourself why you don’t feel comfortable trusting them to get on with the job. Then, adjust your approach to correct your course.
You might be surprised by how common micromanagement is and how hard leaders sometimes find it to let go. A study by Trinity Solutions discovered that:
Don’t be one of those leaders that drives their people away. Always try to strike the right balance between giving autonomy and maintaining oversight.
The most common challenge leaders encounter when delegating is learning to let go. It can be an uncomfortable feeling, but there are upsides.
‘When you’re uncomfortable, that’s the best time to learn, the best time to think differently. It’s the best time to engage folks in the organisation and come up with a cohesive idea of what to do.’ - Dave Jacobson
However, if you still have those nagging doubts, do everything you can to stay on top of the project (without micromanaging). Use project management tools to monitor the project. These tools give you complete visibility of what’s happening, so you can see where you’re on track and where your people might need help.
Delegation is essential for leaders, but it’s difficult, particularly if you find it hard to relinquish control.
To boost the chances of success, it’s vital to understand what you’re delegating and who you’re delegating to. Then, give them everything they need to complete the task, including authority in the organisation.
It requires trust, communication and willingness to develop team members beyond the norm. But when it works, it’s a game-changer for the way you work and the culture in your team.
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