Task
How to overcome doubts and start delegating tasks effectively
Managers often face a problem: there are too many tasks, deadlines are tight, and time is desperately short. In such cases, the question arises: is it not better to hand over some of the work to colleagues? And at the same time, a doubt creeps in - "They will do it poorly, they will ruin everything, so I'd better do it myself". But this approach quickly leads to overload and burnout. The most effective way to unburden yourself and boost your team's productivity is delegation.
Why managers hesitate and do not delegate tasks
Many believe: "Nobody will do it as well as I will". This is partly true, but a manager's time is too valuable to spend on minor details. It is better to spend a few hours on explanation and controlling the result than constantly taking everything upon yourself. This approach frees up space for strategic decisions and business development. It's better to control and adjust the result than to burn out from overload.
What tasks you should delegate
Not all activities should be handed over to other people. However, there are categories of tasks that will be carried out more effectively by the team rather than the manager.
Routine and technical tasks
These are tasks that do not require the manager's unique expertise: keying in documents, preparing invoices, entering data in systems, searching for information, etc. They consume time but do not create added value for business development.
Tasks for staff development
There are tasks that may be difficult for a beginner but will help them to improve skills - presentations, communication with clients, drafting reports. This will help the team grow and gradually take on more responsibility.
Repetitive tasks
This is work that is done consistently: weekly, monthly, or quarterly - reports, charts, etc. By training an employee once, you continuously save time.
Large and complex tasks
When a manager has a large-scale project, it is advisable to break it down into smaller parts and assign them to different team members. As a result, the tasks will be completed faster and with higher quality, while the manager will avoid overload.
Low-risk tasks
Even in the event of an error, these will not have significant consequences for the business. Instead, employees will gain invaluable experience.
4 steps for effective delegation of work
A bad experience can turn you off delegation for a long time. It often happens like this: a manager assigns a simple task, and the employee fails, misses deadlines - and the thought arises: "I'd better do it myself".
The Keruj team has put together a step-by-step guide to help you assign work correctly and get high-quality results.
Step 1. Define the task and the outcome
Describe exactly what needs to be done, what the final result should be, and by what deadline. Add all necessary instructions and allow for the possibility of asking for help. Keruj allows you to create separate tasks for such cases and add executors to them.
Step 2. Choose the performer
Consider the workload of employees and their skill levels. It's better to assign simple tasks to those who are still gaining experience—this will help develop the team.
Step 3. Provide feedback
Delegation does not mean total control. Instead of constant checks, establish intermediate checkpoints - messages in the task communication, meetings, or online calls.
Step 4. Evaluate the result
Together with the performer, review what went well and what needs to be improved. This will help avoid mistakes in the future and increase the overall efficiency of the team.
Delegation is not a loss of control, but an opportunity to make the team stronger and the manager more productive.
