How I Delegate My Work Effectively (2)
I delegates to Gigi—and make him a capo—because Gigi is levelheaded and has a good relationship with Carmine and the New York family, their partners on the Newark esplanade project. When delegating complex tasks, I often assign two people, but simpler tasks, like breaking kneecaps, can be handled by just one.
To delegate effectively, you must keep your eye on the big picture and delegate responsibility, not just parts of a task. You can delegate fast, but take the time to organize and prioritize before delegating, set realistic goals and select the right team or person for the task.
When Paulie is in jail, I acts fast to delegate responsibility, appointing Christopher as acting lieutenant. Like most successful managers, I understand that in order to delegate effectively I must match functions and experience to the task at hand.
Whether the project I’s delegating is a major hit or routine reconnaissance, I is specific about responsibilities and goals and has a clear dialogue with the delegate about the job. I trusts my own judgment and my team’s abilities, and once I has delegated, I steps back.
I knows that different people have different styles, personalities and ways of getting things done, so I gives delegates room to breathe and succeed. Trust and delegation are a double helix of good management.
Many managers see themselves as coaches, helping to train those to whom they delegate, or a safety net, there for emergencies but hopefully an unnecessary precaution.
- Delegate tasks both large and small, fun and unpleasant.
- Set realistic goals and attainable deadlines.
- Draw up a delegation plan.
- Provide good training and information when you delegate.
- Set goals, reporting mechanisms, milestones for review.
- Be available for support, coaching and guidance.
- Follow up to monitor progress and problems.
- If you delegated poorly, reassess and restructure duties. But reserve judgment until the task has been completed, or until there’s a natural stopping point.
- Assess the task that was delegated, the delegate’s performance and her effectiveness in communicating information and setting goals.
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You can use it to manage your goals, projects and tasks, set next actions and contexts, use checklists, and a calendar.
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