How to Delegate Tasks Effectively (and Why It’s Important)
Delegating sounds easy, and others who can do it well make it look easy- but passing the baton effectively requires a lot of trust, communication, and coordination. Still, if you learn how to delegate and you do it well, everyone on your team wins.
Why Is It Important to Delegate?
As a leader, delegating is important because you can’t—and shouldn’t—do everything yourself. Delegating empowers your team, builds trust, and assists with professional development. And for leaders, it helps you learn how to identify who is best suited to tackle tasks or projects.
Of course, delegating tasks can lighten your workload, but according to Dr. Scott Williams, professor of management at Wright State University, delegating does much more than just get stuff off your plate.
For one, the people who work for you will be able to develop new skills and gain knowledge, which prepares them for more responsibility in the future.
“Delegation can also be a clear sign that you respect your subordinates’ abilities and that you trust their discretion,” Williams writes. “Employees who feel that they are trusted and respected tend to have a higher level of commitment to their work, their organization , and, especially, their managers".
