Five steps to delegate better

You have a good team, and still tasks are not always carried out the way you want. The cause usually lies in the assignment, not in the people.

Many managers recognise this: a good team, and still actions are not always carried out as intended. Usually that is not down to the people, but to how the assignment was given. Five steps that help.

1. Give a clear assignment

Unclear instructions lead to different interpretations. Make clear what the result should be, why it matters and when it needs to be done. For recurring tasks: record the best way of working. That also helps new colleagues.

2. Choose the right person

A good explanation does not help if someone lacks the experience. Make sure the task fits the person's knowledge and skills. And also see every assignment as a chance to help someone grow.

3. Match your support to the task

Someone can be a beginner in one part of their work and independent in another. Direct where someone is still learning, coach where they hesitate, and let go where they can do it. That way you avoid micromanagement and a lack of clarity.

4. Agree in advance what happens if things go differently

Unexpected obstacles are part of the job. Agree how someone should act in that case, so the work does not grind to a halt. Make sure they know who they can turn to.

5. Provide the resources and the mandate

Without the right tools, information or authority, even the most experienced employee gets stuck. Record what someone may decide on their own, and up to what amount. That mandate grows with experience.

Delegating is not letting go and hoping it works out. It is making clear what needs to happen, who does it, what the best way of working is and what someone may decide on their own. Then the work is done better, faster and with more enjoyment.