Delegation — a Great Book to Read

Delegation is mysterious to many of us. What do you ask others to do? What do you do yourself? While these questions are somewhat position related, there are some basic rules about delegating.

These steps are from a book and presentation (see below)

1 Prepare Beforehand
2. Clearly define the task to be completed. Be specific. Ask the person to whom you are delegating to repeat the information back to you to ensure that he or she fully understands.
3. Clearly outline the time frame within which the delegated task must be completed.
4. Define the level of authority he or she is to use with this task: Recommend; Inform and Initiate; Act
5. Identify the checkpoints when you will meet with the delegatee to review progress and offer guidance, if needed. Schedule these meetings frequently at first, taper off as you see the task being mastered.
6. Hold a debriefing session to discuss what went well, what could have been improved, and what has been learned.

These are all from Donna Genett’s book, “If You Want Something Done Right You Don’t Have to do it Yourself! The Power of Effective Delegation“. Donna recently spoke to our TEC group and the book is a great refresher on the topic. Be forewarned about the book though — its a quick read and covers the basics. What you do with those is up to you.