One of the biggest challenges with delegating when you’re a new manager or team leader, is that delegating is not necessarily what you’re good at. You’ve been doing a job which is about you doing stuff; achieving goals, working on projects, making your numbers, getting actions implemented. Then you get this new job which is all about passing work on to others.
The job you did was all about achieving things through your own efforts, now you have a job which is all about achieving things through the efforts of others, that is, your team.
One of the first things to get your head round, when your a new manager or team leader, is just how important delegating is. With some jobs it’s all the job is about. Yes you have to see that things are done properly. But for the most part it’s about guiding, coaching, telling other people.
It’s a big change, and training on delegating both in terms of developing your awareness of it, and how to do it successfully, within the context of your personality and job role, can be crucial. And the first step is often simply recognising the change.
Tips on delegating include:
- Recognise what you need to let go of
- Remember they may not do it your way, but that doesn’t mean it’s wrong
- Give them space and time to try
- Don’t necessarily always tell them to do it your way
- Delegating means trusting, being patient and letting go