A few weeks ago I sent you a link to great article on the 10 Core Leadership Skills from the Center for Creative Leadership. This week I would like to delve into one of those skills: the ability to delegate. I quote form the article:
Ability to Delegate
Delegating is one of the core responsibilities of a leader, but it can be tricky to delegate effectively. The goal isn’t just to free yourself up — it’s also to enable your direct reports, facilitate teamwork, provide autonomy, lead to better decision-making, and help your direct reports grow. In order to delegate well, you also need to build trust with your team.
Center For Creative Leadership
How are you at delegating? What makes it tricky to delegate?
- I you are a small operation with few people
- Perfectionism
- Fear of losing control
- It’s your idea and you want it to be executed your way
- Trust issues
- Thoughts like, “I’m getting paid, so I should do the bulk of the work.”
- Fear of asking too much of volunteers
- Inexperience in delegating to others
What are the benefits of delegating and how might that look at your Center?
Enabling your direct reports makes them feel trusted and a valuable member of the team.
- Don’t micro-manage
- At staff meetings assign the duties, set check-in meetings and let them do their assignments
- Give your direct reports leadership responsibilities and the ability to delegate to others.
- Delegating means they might do it differently than you would, but if the goals are achieved, that is what is important.
- Be available and supportive. Try not to be too directive.
Facilitates Teamwork
If your staff knows you trust them to do the job it is easier for them to ask others’ opinions and advice. It is easier for them to feel free ask volunteers to join in and donate their time.
- Clearly delegating who is in charge of what during staff meetings creates good lines of communication and who has the authority in what areas or projects.
- Asking staff members to support and help with projects feels more like teamwork if all staff members, at some point or another, have been given responsibility over a project or aspect of the ministry.
Provides Autonomy
Most people like to know they have some autonomy in their job.
- Train staff and volunteers well so they clearly know what their jobs are and by what criteria they will be evaluated
- Let them do their jobs
- Let them know you are here if they need help
- Tell them how they are doing
Leads to Better Decision-Making and Growth
The more you trust your staff and volunteers delegate to them, the faster they will learn the ministry and make better decisions with other staff, volunteers and clients.
- Allow whoever was in charge of the project lead the post-project team evaluation.
- Allowing volunteers to “try-out” (alone) what they have learned in training with clients leads to better and better client interactions
- Processing client sessions with volunteers helps them to learn self-evaluation skills which can lead to better interaction decisions when they are with clients.
Builds Trust with Your Team
If you give people the authority, space and time to do the job you have delegated to them, trust will grow and dedication to the ministry and/or special project will increase.
