Ongoing Communication Is the Secret to Successful Delegation

Delegation is perhaps the most important aspect of a manager’s job. When done well, it can clear your schedule to focus on other tasks, and it can give the delegate an opportunity to grow their skills and confidence. Big or small, delegation might happen multiple times a day in your line of work, and you could be assigning tasks or projects to multiple people.

But it takes work to ensure that what you’ve delegated is successful. For routine tasks or assignments, it may only take a simple email exchange for you to trust that the job will get done to a high standard. But delegating large projects involves more than one conversation; it’s an ongoing process of problem solving, collaboration, and teamwork.

Choose the right person for the job

Knowing who to give a certain project to begins before the project ever comes to light. The longer you work with someone, the more chances there are to build trust. You recognize their skills and where they shine brightest. This helps you determine the right person for the job. 

I know that if I’m delegating a project that’s data-driven and requires technical savvy, I’d pick someone different than I would for a project that’s more broad and requires a bit of creativity. 

So you really have to consider why you’re selecting that particular person for the job, beyond their surface-level abilities. After some time, you may realize they have skills they aren’t fully utilizing. Delegation is a great way to get the job done and give someone the opportunity to flourish.

Focus on results

Before you delegate a project, you need a clear understanding of what the project is and what your own expectations are. However, communicating your expectations doesn’t necessarily mean your delegate is going to do the project the same way you would. And that’s a good thing. 

Give clear instructions so that they understand the desired outcome, but allow them to have influence over the project. Your instructions aren’t a prescription; they should be focused on the end-result.

Project clarity also requires answering a few questions before giving another person the responsibility and oversight to complete it. These may include what other employees are needed for the project, what’s the budget for the project, and do you need to bring in outside resources? The bigger a project, the greater its complexity. Knowing the answers to these questions gives the delegate what they need to achieve success.

Check on progress without micromanaging

A large project that requires careful explanation also requires continual communication. But randomly checking in at semi-frequent intervals will appear as distrust. A large project that’s going to take a long time should have clear milestones, which means establishing regular, weekly check-ins to monitor progress.

This makes updates automatic, so you don’t have to seek them out. It also gives employees the chance to ask follow-up questions or alert you of a problem. Delegation should be collaborative; you and the other person can discuss the pros and cons of potential ways to solve a problem, and you can give them constructive feedback. 

Regular meetings are the best way to avoid the appearance of micromanaging. They allow you to not intensely oversee the project, and it gives your delegate the autonomy to approach it the best way they can. And it lets them know that if there are problems or questions that can’t wait for the meeting, they can come to you. It’s showing them that there’s an “open door policy,” without telling them there is one.

Take a hands-on approach to project management

Online project management tools are very useful, but they shouldn’t replace one-on-one conversations. You might see progress on a task board, but you still need to discuss how to handle unforeseen challenges or roadblocks, as well as acknowledge any wins that happen along the way.

Communication is a common thread that runs through delegation and project management, and it makes a winning outcome much more likely. Those unforeseen challenges may not necessarily be a huge problem, but they can impact the project timeline. Scheduling project updates allows for the opportunity to look over those unexpected situations together.

Delegation doesn’t change relationships, or at least it shouldn’t; but it does demonstrate your methods as a leader. And as I mentioned earlier, your working relationship with an employee should be well established before delegating a big project to them.

You can’t do everything yourself

The notion of, “if you want something done right, you have to do it yourself,” is largely incorrect. Yes, sometimes it is easier and quicker just to handle a task yourself, but you can’t do it with everything. It would be a detriment to the success of the company.

Delegation isn’t just good for the people; it’s good for the company. A good manager will realize that it’s a tool they should use to develop their teams and help them grow. It’s also good for managers, so they can learn to trust their employees and be a guide for their career development.

Delegating assignments and projects is not a “nice to have,” it’s a, “need to have.” Clarity and communication will make or break the success of a project. If you and the delegate communicate properly, it helps the entire team collaborate with understanding and focus.