The Art of Delegation

We have two interns with us this summer and they are ready to take on any task that I hand them. In the last few weeks, I’ve come to see how eager they are to learn about the world of PR and strategic community investment, but I’ve also noticed what they are teaching me: how to become a better delegator.

Delegating projects is something I constantly need to work at. I sometimes fall into that trap where it seems easier to just do something myself than teach somebody else to do it. Not the smartest idea. Delegating work, especially with interns, is an investment that takes a little time, but there is an ROI in the long run as they learn about the details of what needs to be accomplished.

So I sought some advice on how to better delegate and came across this article by Susan M. Heathfield on About.com. It provides six great tips as to how to delegate effectively:

• Whenever possible, when delegating work, give the person a whole task to do. (If you can't give the employee a whole task, make sure they understand the overall purpose of the project or task.)
• Make sure the staff person understands exactly what you want him or her to do. Ask questions, watch the work performed or have the employee give you feedback to make sure your instructions were understood.
• If you have a picture of what a successful outcome or output will look like, share your picture with the staff person.
• Identify the key points of the project or dates when you want feedback about progress. This is the critical path that provides you with the feedback you need without causing you to micromanage.
• Identify the measurements or the outcome you will use to determine that the project was successfully completed.
• Determine, in advance, how you will thank and reward the staff person for his or her successful completion of the task or project you delegated.

With these ideas in mind, I will continue to pass off projects and take the time to walk through them with our interns. I’ve seen how capable they are and how they always seek to understand things before starting a task. In the end, it’s a win-win situation and everyone walks away having grown and learned something new.