Business Growth – 7 Steps for Successful Delegation

When it comes to business growth, know your employees. Choosing the right person for the project is the first step in delegation. In order to make this decision, you must know the skill level of each employee in your department. Which projects can they handle independently, or with a little guidance or access to additional resources? What are their interests? Employees tend to do well with projects that are both challenging and interesting.

Here are 7 Steps you can take for successful delegation to assist with your business growth:

1 – Establish objectives

Clearly communicate your objectives to each employee involved in the project. Your objectives should be concrete, measurable, and concise. Write them down and review them yourself if necessary. Remember your role is to direct. Give your employees direction by letting them know precisely what is expected and what their role is in the process. Given this information, employees will work more independently.

2 – Give a deadline

Deadlines should be given for any project worth doing. Be specific, strict and realistic when establishing deadlines. Without deadlines, employees will not feel responsible for accomplishing the task. Projects with a deadline are seen as important.

3 – Develop a method of reporting

Establishing a reporting system will eliminate employees coming to you throughout the day for feedback. Decide the best method of reporting (meeting, e-mail, written report) and the time line (weekly, monthly, daily). It is important that each employee knows what information you want in the report.

4 – Focus on the results

Let go of the details. Empower your employees to take care of the day-to-day details. Let them know where your main concern lies with the final outcome.

5 – Keep a log of projects

It is important that you know which projects are taking place, who is responsible for each one and the status of each one. The easiest way to monitor this is by keeping a log. At a glance you will have valuable information and can follow-up accordingly. You can also ensure that employees are assigned work equally.

6 – Follow-up

Never assign a project and forget about it until the deadline. Always communicate with your employees and don’t forget to listen. Check in periodically to ensure the project is headed in the right direction.

7 – Rejoice and review

Once a project is finished, gather the team together for a moment to celebrate the success of the project. Demonstrate to the team how their work has affected the company/department. Discuss particular challenges faced during the course of the project and review the solutions used to overcome them. Recognise the team members for a job well done!