The art of delegation is about more than telling a team member to do something. You could do that, but I guarantee that won’t result in a very engaged employee. To truly grow leaders, to capture their hearts and minds, you need to do more than just tell them; you need to take these five steps.
1. Encourage autonomy
Once you’ve defined the task and laid out the must-haves, let the team member know they are free to make decisions that will result in the delegated task being done—and that you support and trust their ability to do so.
2. Have their back
Of course, if they need support, let them know you’re there for them and can answer questions or provide an opinion. There may be times when you’ll have to jointly make decisions. When this comes up, express confidence in the employee while reassuring them that you have their back.
3. Let them know what’s in it for them
To grow leaders through delegation, be clear about what’s in it for them. They’re not just crossing a task off their list; they’re also developing their career and adding skills to their skillset, which can help increase their career growth potential.
4. Connect the task to the bigger picture
We often peg this requirement on millennials, but this is a prerequisite for growing leaders of all ages. To be engaged in their work, team members must understand the whys: Why is this important to the team? Why is this important to the organization? Why is this important to the customer? Why is this important to society?
5. Follow up with feedback
When a task gets done and it gets done well, don’t move on to the next thing without taking some time to appreciate this fact. In fact, give the employee an opportunity to share with you what they thought they did well (even when it’s obvious). This not only gives you the chance to provide some much-needed recognition, but it also helps to confirm that the task is completed and reinforce that it was done well. What happens if it wasn’t done well? Following up with feedback is still crucial because it allows you to talk through course corrections for next time.