The Benefits of Delegation and Why Most Leaders Under-Delegate

The old saying “if you want something done right, do it yourself” can be applied to almost everything in life. However, when it comes to leading an organization and managing people, this is called “micro-managing.” In most cases, this can do more harm than good. If you find yourself with a never-ending to-do list and continuously struggling as you juggle multiple tasks, projects, and people, it is time to discover the benefits of delegation. 

Delegation benefits everyone involved in your organization. Discover what these benefits are and how you can maximize them. 

Benefits of Delegation

Delegation means sharing responsibility, entrusting work and authority, and taking accountability for the outcome. This typically happens from leaders and superiors (employers or team managers) to subordinates (employees or team members). 

When it comes to managing people, delegation allows managers to make the best use of their time, skills, and resources. As you delegate, you ensure that employees and staff are supported in their development and growth while building confidence and trust. 

Delegation is a critical skill, especially for employers. Though it can be difficult to give up control and entrust other people with certain tasks, it is incredibly important, especially for those who work in teams. 

Benefits of Delegation for Leaders

It helps you manage and develop your staff

If you are unsure of what to do, or you do not have the ability and resources to develop your team, then you can start with delegation. More often than not, you know exactly what you want to accomplish on certain tasks and projects. Learning to delegate to certain people will help you hone your managerial skills and develop your team. 

It gives you more time to organize and plan more important things

Planning and organization requires a lot of time and it is even more difficult to do when you are managing several things at the same time. If you wish you had more time to do the more important things, then free up your time from less important things. 

It inspires confidence

Whenever you delegate to your team, you need to keep an open mind for questions and suggestions. Listening to what your team has to say will make them feel trusted, and that inspires confidence which you will see in their work. A good team is built on communication and trust. 

It keeps you from doing everything at once

Having too many things to do at once is not only detrimental to you, but for your team and the organization, as well. This is because there is so much room for error you may overlook the smallest details. Sometimes, those small details could spell the difference between failure and success. 

Spread the load around your team; work smart, not hard.

It can help you come up with better ways

You may have a good idea of how things should be and what outcomes to expect. A good leader knows when to listen because your method of doing things is not always the best and sometimes there may be better ways to get things done. Delegation opens you up to ideas from different perspectives. 

You could also benefit from different ideas and find ways to improve your own ideas. 

Benefits of delegation for your team

It builds morale

One of the best ways to inspire your team and build their confidence is to make them know you trust them. Most people will find it gratifying to know their manager believes they are capable of success. While a pizza party is a sure way to make your staff happy, delegation motivates and builds morale. 

It boosts initiative and creativity

If your employees feel empowered from your trust, they will be more willing to think outside the box and look for different ways to finish the tasks you delegated to them. Consequently, their initiative and creativity will produce positive results. 

Managers who fail to adequately delegate are left with employees who are afraid to take initiatives or feel uneasy about suggesting new ideas. When people feel their skills and talents are being put to good use, they will feel better about their work and their role in the organization. 

Personal initiatives and creativity can inspire breakthroughs, and this benefits everyone involved.

It improves their skills

Skill development of your employees is an important recipe for the continued success of your organization. Delegation helps them acquire or develop new skills which can be beneficial for you and the business. 

It allows them to contribute to the organization’s success

It is human nature to relish recognition for doing something significant, especially if it is successful. This experience brings a sense of accomplishment and pride. 

Benefits of delegation for your organization

It creates a positive work environment

Delegation benefits not just the managers, but also the department and the whole organization form a positive work environment. It boosts efficiency, productivity, cooperation, enthusiasm, and morale. All of these things are crucial for the organization’s bottom line. 

A positive work culture also minimizes turnover rates, safety risks, and ensures that the company keeps highly qualified employees who are good at their job. 

Parting tips

Delegation does not only make it convenient for managers to assign tasks and shuffle personnel, it is not about giving tasks and projects to people and micromanaging them at each step of the way. Rather, delegation is about providing your staff a job to do and work within the given parameters. It is about giving them the creative license, autonomy, and authority to make their own decisions. It is about trusting them to make the right decisions to achieve desired results. 

For delegation to be effective, you also need to know how to do it correctly. Thus, you need to provide guidelines, tools, and resources to help them on their tasks. 

Though you need to be clear about your objectives and expected outcome, you also need to ask for their ideas and suggestions. More importantly, you need to know your employees individually. Understand that each person has his/her own set of strengths, skills, and talents. 

Lastly, know that delegating doesn’t eliminate accountability. You are ultimately accountable for the failure or success of your employee.