Do you know what happens when you delegate?

Your output goes up.

Your work is completed more efficiently.

Employees feel free to offer new ideas and suggestions.

Decision-making is improved.

Your company becomes more responsive and thus more competitive in the marketplace.

With that many benefits to be gained from delegation, is there anyone who would like to know how to delegate more effectively?

If you do, here are four steps that you can implement now:

1. Determine all the tasks that need to be done.

Before you delegate, make sure you know what needs to be done. It would be helpful for you to note the tasks on a piece of paper. Refrain from delegating in bits and pieces. That wastes time and it gives employees the sense that you can’t trust them with the entire project. The responsibility for clarification rests with you, so be sure you know what has to be done, and you communicate exactly what you expect to be done.

2. Select individuals who are best qualified for the assignment.

That doesn’t mean you should delegate to people who will do the job just the way you would do it! It means you need to decide who could handle the job, as well as possibly learn a new skill. After you communicate what you expect, be sure to set up appropriate accountability. Have the person check in with you periodically if you think it’s necessary.

3. Empower the people to do the work.

Don’t you hate it when someone asks you to do something but then they won’t get out of your way? Or they invite others to get in your way? Once you delegate responsibility, get out of the way. And inform the rest of the staff that responsibility for the job rests with the person to whom you’ve delegated it. There are few greater frustrations than being given a job, but not getting the authority to make decisions and act on them.

4. Check the results regularly.

We all know managers (you might be one of them) who tried delegating once only to discover it created more work for them. Do not re-do someone’s poor work. Send it back and ask that it be done correctly. Make delegation a learning process. If you continue to re-do the work, you are simply creating more work for yourself. And more frustration, too!

There it is -- four ways to help you delegate more effectively. Get out there and delegate something today!