Delegate Tasks: The 101 Guide On How To Improve Your Task Management

how to delegate task to employees improve work decision-making autonomy

People tend to take on more tasks than they can handle, especially at work - Whether it's poor time management or perfectionism, it is definitely not good for either the quality of the output or the employees themselves since this can cause a lot of stress. 

This is why delegating tasks is an important skill that every employee as well as manager should have. This article will deal with the 4 levels of delegating tasks and 5 tips on how to do so effectively. 

What Does It Mean To Delegate? 

Delegating tasks means to assign someone else a task you were supposed to handle. 

It does not mean that you are too lazy to do the task yourself, but you prefer to assign it to someone else. The reason for that may be that someone else is more competent than you in this task or you simply have other priorities to take care of. Also, it might be the case that you simply don’t have the time to invest in this specific task. 

Keeping an eye on your target and actual hours is not only important for your boss, but also for you. Having too many overtime hours forces you to take days off when you don’t really want to. Attendance tracking is an efficient way to know when you should delegate a task or do it yourself. 

But how should you delegate tasks and are there any specific things you should keep in mind when doing so? We have got you covered on delegation decisions and tactical task management. 

How To Delegate: The 4 Levels Of Delegating Tasks 

There are four steps to delegating properly for leaders to make the goal clear to employees and achieve tangible results. When delegating, a manager should always be sure at which level they want to transfer the responsibility of a task to the employees. 

Directive Delegation 

Delegating directively is the form of delegation that requires most of your input. You tell the employees what to do, when to do it and then you also need to approve the work. Delegating directively means that you are still part of the task. Successfully delegating activities in a directive way can look like this: "This is the goal we want to achieve, figure out how to get there and I will decide how to act." 

Consultative Delegation 

In contrast to the directive delegation, the consultative suggests first letting the employee make suggestions regarding a problem and then discussing which approach is the right one. Even though you are involved in this delegation, you still save a lot of time. Also, by discussing the approach, you make sure that the tasks are handled the right way and work more efficiently. 

Delegative Delegation 

Managers at this level let employees decide for themselves which course of action is right for the task, and they inform their supervisor of their decisions. 

Autonomous Delegation 

At this level, employees take over responsibility and only come back to their manager in the event of a crisis. Delegating a task therefore means leadership through trust, for example through an positive feedback culture. 

5 Tips On How To Delegate Tasks Successfully 

1. Deciding On The Kind Of Task To Delegate 

Define exactly which tasks you want to delegate to your employees. Experience shows that leaving repetitive and routine tasks to employees increases your productivity. 

2. Choosing The Right Employee For The Task 

Leadership means recognizing that others may have more information and experience. It is not a problem to give responsibility to these persons and to delegate tasks to them. 

3. Making Sure ‘The Chosen One’ Is Competent And Trust-Worthy 

Think carefully about why exactly this person has competence and can take responsibility. Choose the person with the highest potential to prevent mistakes from scratch and achieve the best results. 

4. Deciding Upon A Delegation Method 

Define the authority and guidelines of the employee, so that he or she can also use freedom in his or her contribution to find the right way. Especially the use of project time tracking with innovative software enables companies to provide their employees with an ideal overview of all tasks to be completed. 

5. Providing The Employee With All The Information For The Task 

To be able to work on the topic in the best possible way, your employees must have access to tools and documents as well as support for their work. It is best to define everything in advance so the right employees can make smart decisions on their own.

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