6 Tips for Delegating
So That You Can Focus on Your Business and Board Assignment
What’s up with everyone’s lack of time? Whether for running the business or being on the coop or condo board, it seems like everyone is short of time. As we know, there are only 24 hours in a day, so we can’t create more time. However, we can free up more hours in a day by properly delegating. Delegate tasks so that you have time to focus on your business; delegating will allow you to take a step back from the day-to-day and start thinking more strategically about your company's or building’s goals. I’ll share 6 tips for delegating efficiently so that you don’t needlessly get bogged down by the details of every project or task.
What is the definition of delegation?
The definition of the delegation process is “to give an assignment or task to another person”.
It is very possible that there will be creative differences between you and who you delegate to. Part of delegation is learning to let go and trust the person you are delegating to.
The more time you spend managing people, worrying about deadlines, and getting lost in small details, the more time you will take away from your business’s potential. You don't want this! If tasks aren’t delegated effectively there can be negative consequences for everyone involved.
Select your candidate for delegation wisely.
Ensure that the individual has the time to accept the job. Check your employees' skills and abilities and assign the task to the most qualified person. Make sure the individual is properly trained and equipped to achieve success.
Set clear goals and expectations.
When it comes to what is needed, be clear and explicit with the who, what and when. You may leave the "how" to them. Be ready to listen to ideas from your staff. Confirm and check task goals and expectations.
Delegate responsibility and authority.
An effective leader delegating tasks gives adequate power and responsibility to complete projects. Allow whoever you are delegating to complete the job in the manner they see fit, as long as the outcomes are satisfactory. Accept suggestions from your team members on how to carry out tasks successfully.
Provide support, guidance, and instructions.
When delegating work, point your candidate to the resources they may need to complete the task or project. That could be people they need to coordinate with, crucial information or anything else that would make sure they can finish successfully.
Allow questions or set up check-ins that allow for any feedback and especially praise among the process! See how their efforts and unique leadership style support the big picture.
If you’re not satisfied with the progress, don’t take the project back immediately.
Rather, continue to work with the employee and ensure they understand the project to be their responsibility. Give advice on ways to improve. This ensures accountability and dependability, but also inspires trust and encourages continued action on their part.
Evaluate and recognize performance.
Rather than evaluating techniques, evaluate outcomes more. As soon as possible, analyze the reasons for subpar performance and identify successes.
A good leader knows the importance of time management. They are willing to learn how to delegate specific tasks while also honoring that delegation skills may be a trial-and-error process themselves. Show grace for all parties involved, including yourself.
Delegation doesn’t mean you should let go completely, but rather want to focus more on long-term planning and less on small details, as well as building a strong team that will keep working towards your goals even when you aren't there guiding them every step of the way. This will allow you to focus and work on your business or property, versus spending all of your time on it.
For other best practices for co-op and condo boards, get our FREE Policies and Procedures Checklist emailed straight to your inbox. At The Folson Group, our goal is to inspire you to run your building like a business. We enable and inspire co-op or condo board engagements to be filled with a feeling of accomplishment, excitement, meaning, happiness, and increased probability of success.
Email us at info@thefolsongroup.com or call us at (917) 648-8154 to see how we can help your co-op or condo board today.