Therefore, you should delegate tasks to your employees

Good advice for delegation

By Pia Fuglsang Bach, CfL, November 2020

Leadership is about creating results through others. You’ve probably heard this before, yet it remains a discipline that especially new leaders must learn to put into practice. The key to achieving this is delegation – and there are two explanations for why it is crucial:

  • First, it is unsustainable if you, as a leader, handle all your many tasks by simply working day and night. Many leaders work far more hours than their employees because they fail to delegate routine operational tasks along with the many new responsibilities that come with a leadership role.

  • Second, delegation allows your employees to grow. If you continue to do everything yourself, you send a signal that you do not trust your employees and doubt their capabilities. You signal that you know best, which can result in demotivation and inefficiency within the team.

It is indeed difficult to let go of tasks you have mastered, and it can actually be easier to do them yourself – but that is a pitfall. Another common excuse is that your employees are already busy. They probably are, but most still want to be challenged, and most will say no if it’s truly impossible to take on new tasks.

So, what do you do? Before we look at your options if your team lacks skills, here are the main conclusions from the recommendations by Væksthus for Leadership.

1. Clarify what should be delegated

The first step is to determine your priorities. Write all your tasks down on a list and highlight those that you wish to delegate.

It is important not to confuse delegation with simply getting rid of work you don’t want to do or don’t have time for. Delegation should go hand in hand with your employees’ competencies and preferences, thereby giving them a sense of greater influence and responsibility.

Also use your list to consider whether some tasks should be eliminated rather than delegated. If you’re new to a leadership role, take the opportunity to challenge old habits.

 

2. Find the right person to delegate to

Who is the most suitable person to delegate the task to? The nature of the task and the employee’s skills should determine this. Be aware that additional training or education might be necessary for an employee to take over a task

 

3. Specify the goal and set a deadline

One typical pitfall of delegation is that the leader and the employee do not share the same understanding of the task’s objective. As a leader, it is a good idea to begin by clarifying the task:

Visualize what the completed task should look like, and write it down. The goal must be clear: What needs to be done, by when it should be finished, and what quality you expect. Once the task is described as clearly as possible, agree on a deadline.

Remember that your employees are different. Some may prefer detailed instructions, while others might rather receive a few guidelines and figure out the rest on their own. Adapt to your employees’ different needs.

 

4. Provide method freedom

Avoid interfering with the way the task is executed. Everyone has different methods for completing a task, and often the result is more important than the process. Allowing your employees to use their own methods to solve the task will make them more productive, creative, and give them greater ownership.

As a leader, you must set the direction and describe the results you expect, but not dictate the method. CfL uses the concept of "independently thinking obedience" as coined by international strategy expert Stephen Bungay.

His mantra is that as an employee, you must do what is right even if you receive the wrong message. This mantra can also be applied to delegation.

5. Conduct ongoing follow-up

You should regularly obtain feedback from your employees to ensure they have the necessary information to complete the task. However, too much interference can create misunderstandings.

Consider setting interim milestones to gauge progress. For example, if an employee has one week to complete the task, ask for an update after three days. It is important not to ask, “Are you almost done?” as that puts pressure on the employee and makes them defensive.

6. Provide feedback

When the task is completed, give feedback. What went well, and what could be improved for next time? Discuss the outcome and give praise if the task was executed well. This is also the point where you agree on any changes for how similar tasks should be handled in the future.

If you receive a task from an employee that is acceptable but not perfect, it is important not to insist that the employee redoes it until it is flawless. That is demotivating and frustrating for the employee and is often a waste of time. Instead, focus on what can be improved next time.

Consider employees’ competencies and engagement

Delegation is about letting go. It may sound easy, but it requires that the tasks are completed without you having to check up on them constantly. This demands that your employees are well-prepared and truly have the skills to complete the tasks.

One tool that can help you delegate according to your employees’ competence levels is situational leadership.

The method involves adapting your leadership style to the individual employee and the specific task at hand. Depending on the employee’s development level – that is, their competence and engagement – you choose whether your leadership style should be directive, coaching, or something else entirely. For this purpose, four development levels and four leadership styles have been defined.

The four leadership styles in situational leadership are:

  • Style 1: Directing
  • Style 2: Coaching
  • Style 3: Supporting
  • Style 4: Delegating

The development levels are defined as follows:

  • U1: Low competence – high engagement
  • U2: Low to some competence – low engagement
  • U3: Moderate to high competence – fluctuating engagement
  • U4: High competence – high engagement

Competence is defined as the employee’s knowledge and skills related to the task. Competence largely depends on experience in the area, while engagement is a combination of the employee’s confidence and motivation to complete the task.

It may sound complicated, but in practice it works; the first step is being aware that you achieve the best results by adapting your leadership style to the employee and the situation.


From tool to organizational culture

As a leader, you also have a range of other well-proven tools at your disposal, such as structured development conversations (e.g., performance reviews), the Career Model, which provides insight into what motivates your employees, and basic knowledge about personality types.

In addition to these tools, remember to draw on the knowledge and experience from your fellow leaders and your own boss. Many – especially new leaders – get caught up in the fact that personnel management can be more extensive than expected.

Perhaps you have taken over employees who, for one reason or another, have not kept up with the times, and in such cases the leadership challenge is more about relationships and culture than about delegation.

If that is the case, a cultural change is needed – and that is a task that goes beyond your own team.

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