What does delegate task mean?

Job delegation happens when you give a specific task or responsibility to someone else. It typically happens when a manager or superior transfers a job task to a subordinate. Effective delegation doesn’t mean you push all of your responsibilities onto someone else. It means you carefully assess the tasks you need to complete and determine which ones can be passed to someone else without compromising the outcome.

Why is task delegation important?

Task delegation is important for managers, who often have a lot of responsibilities to handle. Assigning tasks to other employees results in many benefits, including:

• Employee confidence: Proper delegation can help team members feel more confident that their manager trusts them to learn and succeed with new or additional responsibilities.
• Skills development: Another perk for employees is the chance to learn new skills. Delegated tasks might push them outside their comfort zone, where they learn new things or apply skills differently.
• Productivity: Assigning tasks to people who have the necessary skills can improve workplace productivity. They can complete the task more efficiently, and you can disperse the workload evenly across the team to avoid overloading one or two people with tasks.
• More time: For the manager, delegation frees up time to focus on the most important tasks, which might include income-generating tasks that help the company grow faster.

Reasons managers struggle with delegation

Delegating doesn’t always come naturally for leaders. Some managers are afraid to delegate, and others simply don’t want to. Here are some common barriers to work delegation:

• Lack of confidence in themselves: Some people in supervisory roles lack the confidence or assertiveness to assign tasks to their subordinates. They might feel like their employees will be mad or think they’re lazy if they pass off their work to other people.
• Doubt in the team: If the manager doesn’t have confidence in the team’s abilities, they might hesitate to let other people take on responsibilities.
• Need for recognition: Some people want to do the work themselves, so they get the credit or feel like they’re needed by the team.
• Desire to maintain control: It can be difficult to let go of responsibilities, especially if you feel like you do the best job on the tasks. Managers might think no one else can do the job as well as they do.
• Not sure how: It could be a matter of not knowing how to delegate duties effectively. If you’ve never delegated before, it can be intimidating to do it the first time.
• Don’t want to explain: Another issue for some managers is not wanting to explain the task or train the employee to do it. You might feel like it’s faster and easier to do the task yourself than it is to teach someone else how to do it.
• Wrong mindset: Some people see delegation as avoiding responsibilities or being lazy by unloading all your work onto someone else. It actually frees you up for more important tasks, so you can have greater success.

How to delegate tasks effectively

If you’re new to delegating, you might not know how to handle the process. Here are several steps for delegating tasks more effectively:

1. Explain why delegation is necessary

Delegating tasks to individuals or teams with proper context allows them to better prepare for the upcoming task or set of tasks. Define the process involved, and set expectations, such as quality, timelines and other requirements. Explain how certain tasks may further develop some of their skills and how this can be a valuable learning experience.

2. Choose the appropriate individual for the task

Learn each of your employees’ strengths, weaknesses and unique skills. This gives you a better sense of where to assign individuals when the need arises. Consider their social preferences as well. For example, if a particular employee works best alone, assign them a task with little need for additional help.

Alternatively, those who excel in groups may need opportunities for working in collaborative environments. While some team members seem naturally well-suited for specific tasks, don’t pigeonhole people into the same tasks all the time. Give other team members a chance to try if they have the necessary skills.

3. Provide thorough instructions or training

Always brief employees on task instructions, even if they’ve done it before. In some cases, the new task comes with minor changes or the employee may forget specific details about the task.

If the task is new to the employee, provide a brief training session on how to complete the task. Provide any helpful information you can, including resources they can access if you’re unavailable. Be sure to also address any particular goals or milestones you’re looking for.

4. Delegate authority if necessary

Some projects require an additional level of authority, meaning you should assign trustworthy individuals to the task. For example, if you’re unable to oversee a large group of delegated tasks, assign one individual in your place. This person addresses concerns relating to the projects and provides assistance where needed. They also ensure all tasks reach completion by the specified time.

5. Ensure the work is completed properly

Check on the work as needed, especially when employees are done with the tasks. Consider any specifications you gave to employees, and make sure they handled them appropriately. Upon completion of the task, ensure that all tasks were done efficiently and met all goals laid out for employees.

6. Thank those involved for their effort

Once the delegated project ends, thank all those involved to help build morale. Send an email to each person individually, and specifically address the task they were in charge of. If necessary, send a mass email to all those involved in the same task, and thank them for their time and effort. Following these steps ensures that every employee feels needed and increases the chances of tasks being completed without issue for future delegated tasks and projects.

Types of tasks to delegate

Not all tasks require delegation. In some cases, delegating adds more time to the full process, rather than simply completing it first. Here are some of the types of tasks that benefit from delegation:

• Small, one-time tasks: These tasks require little effort, but they can still consume a lot of the manager’s time and keep them from other tasks. Managing these tasks through delegation ensures tasks, such as delivering items or sending brief correspondences, are completed in a timely manner. Let one person take responsibility for tasks that don’t require additional help or resources.
• Organizational tasks: This category includes administrative responsibilities, such as printing papers, copying papers, entering data or filing paperwork. These situations require little oversight and can be accomplished by one person easily.
• Smaller parts of larger projects: Complex tasks can often be broken down into smaller, faster tasks. After breaking down a large task into separate parts, you can devote a handful of people to handle each task as needed.
• Time-sensitive tasks: These duties may also be broken down into smaller tasks. You can assign individuals to help with different aspects of a priority issue to ensure each part reaches completion before it’s due.

Frequently asked questions about task delegation

Here are some of the most common questions regarding task delegation:

When should I avoid delegating tasks?

Delegation of responsibility isn’t always appropriate. Handle any tasks that only you are authorized to handle or when your expertise makes you the only person who can do the task well. Avoid delegating tasks to bail yourself out when you fall behind or fail to handle a process properly. It’s unfair to pass that workload onto other employees when you didn’t handle your responsibilities correctly initially. You should also handle all personnel tasks and performance duties, such as employee evaluations.

What should I consider when delegating tasks?

Successful delegation at work requires careful consideration and detailed instructions. These tips will help you delegate tasks successfully:

• Set specific beginning and end dates or times for the task.
• Ensure you spread the workload evenly across the team.
• Understand the elements involved with each task.
• Ensure you give your employees the support and tools necessary to complete the delegated tasks effectively.

How do I become more comfortable with delegating?

Think about why you struggle with work delegation to help you overcome the issues. If it’s a trust issue, schedule team-building activities, and get to know your team better. Learn their strengths to help you better delegate different tasks to someone you can trust to do a good job. If you lack the confidence in delegating, start with a small task to practice the process and gain confidence. Remind yourself of the benefits of delegating if you’re worried about transferring tasks to other team members.