How I Delegate My Work Effectively
Many managers complain of spending $1,000 to solve a $100 problem. Not me. Like other good leaders, I take the time to delegate, gives people responsibility and autonomy and allows delegates to do things their way.
Even Uncle Junior, a piss-poor leader, has sagacity on this subject, telling the thickheaded Mikey P., “If I delegate, I delegate.” Management guru Peter Drucker suggests breaking down tasks into three categories to decide what to delegate:
- Tasks that do not need to be done at all
- Tasks that you and you alone need to do
- Tasks that you can and should delegate1
There are many important tasks that managers do not need to do themselves. Often, these tasks fit better within the job functions of others, or they will help to train younger team members. After I is released from prison, Richie Aprile hits the old neighborhood like a malevolent hailstorm.
I must curtail Richie’s greed and quash my murderous tendencies. How does I do it? I delegates. I has Paulie and Silvio deal with Richie. And I doesn’t micromanage. I lets them take care of their delegated task as they see fit.
And, no surprise, they do him proud. Once you know what you should delegate, move on to who, when and how. Pick the right person for the job, figure out what tasks are most urgent, break the task down into clear components and come up with simple goals to measure success.
