Delegating: Tips to Do It Right

A mother was shopping in a supermarket with her two young children. She told her little boy to "behave". The child said earnestly, "I be good, Mommy!"

Then he went back to chasing his sister, and the mother scolded him. He apparently did not know what exact behaviors she expected.

In a corporate setting, when a manager warns his new employee to do a "excellent" job on a task, does she know what his idea of "excellent" is?

For example, does it mean proof-reading a document twice (and having someone else do it once), using certain photos, including the details on the new project, or some other expectations?

As a leader, it is your job to make your expectations very clear. Your employees cannot mind-read. If you make your requests clear, you have a greater chance of having them be achieved.

Delegation is part of many leaders' jobs. Clear delegation includes not only the details to be accomplished, but also the time-frame. The leader needs to understand how often he must check with each person on his team to answer questions and make sure the work is being done correctly.

If the task is important enough to be done, it should be done right. A good leader delegates the right task to the right person, with a clear explanation and time-frame.

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