It’s a typical hazard of being a manager. You think you’ve delegated something, and then (seemingly by stealth) the monkey jumps back onto your back. How did that happen? Join Jed & Bob this week when they talk about how to keep delegated tasks delegated.
Monday’s Tip: Have regular one on ones. The best preventative measure for keeping delegated tasks delegated is to have regular and ongoing dialogue about various tasks and how they are progressing.
Tuesday’s Tip: Avoid perfectionist tendencies. If you have a high need for control, or are a perfectionist, then it will be difficult for you to resist doing all the work yourself, or to redo others’ work.
Wednesday’s Tip: Be careful when offering help. You should coach, counsel, and advise. When these activities stray towards doing part of the work for people, you need to take a step back and reassess. Be supportive, but leave the responsibility with your direct report.
Thursday’s Tip: Make sure the delegated task or project is perfectly clear. You can save yourself a lot of work if you ensure the expectations and requirements are absolutely clear. If they are not, you will undoubtedly end up buying part of the task back from your designate.
Friday’s Tip: Ask lots of questions. If you ask lots of questions throughout the process of the task you have delegated, you will be able to effectively monitor progress and take corrective action before the monkey lands back on your back.