More with less…

Gauri Chhabra
One thing that we all are hard pressed on is TIME. We keep complaining and cribbing about the paucity of time and things keep piling on our plates. Have we ever though that there are so many things on our plate that can be done better and more efficiently by our team mates and it would give us the padding time to think and strategize.
Therefore, if you are a leader, do not micro manage, just let go and DELEGATE. Give away some of the repetitive redundant tasks. However, what you delegate, how much you delegate and how do you make others accountable is a tight rope walk.
Here are a few tips:
Delegate tasks that are tactical:
You should be using your time on the most critical tasks for the business, and the tasks that only you can do. Delegate what you can’t do, and what doesn’t interest you. For example, if you are not-tech savvy, you should consider delegating your social media, website, and SEO activities.
Pick the best person to delegate to:
Listen and observe. Learn the traits, values, and characteristics of those who will perform well when you delegate to them. That means give the work to people who deliver, not the people who are the least busy.Some tasks can go to a lower rung employee, or some might need to go to a supervisor. They just need to have the knowledge and skills to do the job. You want it done right. If the project is successful, the employee gets the credit. If it fails, you are accountable. This requires hiring people with the right skills, not the least expensive or friends and family.It always starts with trust. Along with trust, you also have to give the people to whom you delegate the chance to do a job their way. Of course the work must be done well, but your way or the highway is not the right way.
Delegate responsibility and authority, not just the task.
Explain the task thread bare:
The key is striking the right balance between explaining so much detail that the listener is insulted, and not explaining enough for someone to grasp what is expected. Think back to when you were learning, when you were a fresher.
Provide autonomy and fix accountability:
What tends to happen is the unsure or savvy person continually asks questions to the point where you end up doing most of the work. This is called “reverse delegation.” Through time, you end up taking on some if not all of the duties you gave the person. You end up spending more time on the project than you would if you have just did it yourself from the beginning. You get questions like, “Can you set that up for me?” even though they should be able to do it for themselves. If you come across this type of situation, instead of making the decision for them or taking back the task, go over the various possibilities and put the ball back into their court. If you ask for something and somehow you walked away with the responsibility, you have experienced reverse delegation. Don’t give in unless the person truly cannot do the task asked of them. If needed, assign the task to someone else without demoralizing the person.
Give the person the authority to take control of the whole project. This will show you trust the individual and not look as though you just dumped all of the work on them, yet take the credit. They should be able to attend meetings associated with the project even when upper management is involved. Make sure you stand by the person and their decisions. Also make sure they use their authority wisely and not abuse the power given.
Identify the stack rank:
It is up to you to determine the strengths and who can get the job done quickly. The good news about delegation is having someone you trust do the work, however, you are still held accountable for the outcome. Give a deadline when you expect the project or task to be completed. Set up a daily or weekly meeting to review if you feel it’s needed. Whatever you do, do not micromanage and watch over the employees shoulder every few minutes. You need to let them make, and correct, mistakes. It’s all about balance. Give them the space to be able to utilize their abilities to the best effect, while still monitoring and supporting closely enough to ensure that the job is done correctly. It is also their responsibility to report to you on the progress of the project.
Set proper expectations:
Establish a specific deadline at the beginning, with milestones. In this way you can check up on progress before the final deadline, without fuzzy questions like “How are you doing?”
Set clear and objective goals. Let them know exactly what you want. Do not just say something like, “Don’t worry about it, I’m sure you will be able to figure it out.” Ask questions, watch the work performed, or have the employee give you feedback to make sure your instructions were understood.
Share credit:
This is the simplest step, but one of the hardest for many people to learn. It will inspire loyalty, provide real satisfaction for work done, and become the basis for mentoring and performance reviews.
Don’t look for perfection.
Your objective is to get the job done, not create a masterpiece. Establish a standard of quality and a fair time frame for reaching it. Once you establish the expectations, let your staff decide how to carry out the project.
Review and provide feedback:
Make sure all was done correctly and to your satisfaction. If you accept incomplete work or a lack of effort, you will be hurting yourself and the employee. They will not learn, and you will always get the same results. It might take some extra time upfront, but the reward is a better future. Be sure to praise, when praise is due, when the job is completed up to standards. The easiest and simplest reward to give is a compliment to the completed delegated work. You both walk away feeling good and satisfied about the accomplishment.
Finally, you need to set aside your fear of delegating. If you do it right, as outlined above, every task will likely be done better than you could do it.
And you will be able to do MORE with LESS…

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