Effective Delegation Worksheet

From left to right, Planet Subaru Technician Tiffany Sullivan, Shop Manager Katie Stewart, Technician Vanessa Van Beek, and Service Manager Christa Collins.

Your most important responsibilities are usually not the most fun, so beware using your time on things you most like to do instead of those that will produce the most value. I was always very particular about the arrangement of cars on the lot, for both aesthetic and practical reasons. I enjoyed getting outside for fresh air and accomplishing something besides pushing paper around my desk. But it really doesn’t make sense for me, or a highly-paid sales manager, to be moving cars around. Better to have one of our entry-level drivers move the cars after receiving clear instructions. The point is pretty obvious, but how many of your daily tasks really maximize your “hourly rate?” This worksheet will help you use your time in effective service of your personal and professional goals.

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Worksheet

The failure to delegate is a preventable but potentially devastating entrepreneurial sin. Consider just a few of the negative ramifications of trying to do everything yourself:

· You burn out quickly and find yourself too exhausted to focus on the most important things.

· You frustrate and demotivate your team members because you micromanage them.

· You infantilize your team members because you don’t let them develop new competencies.

· Your operations suffer because key tasks get delayed or go entirely undone.

You don’t need to delegate everything. You are uniquely qualified to do certain things, and you might get energized from doing those tasks. But you need to make sure you’re playing the right role. If you’re a football coach, you shouldn’t be throwing passes on the field. You should be focusing on tasks that are critical to your function on the team, such as recruiting and motivating, even if those aren’t your favorite tasks.

Reflect on why you might be reluctant to hand tasks off to others:

> Are you a perfectionist?

§ What’s perfect about all the important work you’re not getting done for fear of delegating?

§ Is it a task that really needs perfection, or are you wasting time on unimportant details?

§ Just because someone doesn’t do it your way, will it still get done well enough?

> Do you lack the talent on your team to hand off the task?

§ Can you hire someone? Reassign an existing person? Outsource it?

> Do you lack the trust that your delegees will do it right?

§ Can you train them? Replace them if they’re just not competent?

> Are you unable to prioritize the mountain of projects before you?

§ Can a confidant or business coach help you triage all your responsibilities?

Basic questions before you delegate a task:

> What exactly is the task? What does it involve? How and when does it need to get done?

> Is spending my time on this task worthy of my high “hourly rate?”

> Am I good at it? Do I enjoy it?

> Is it a one-off event that’s just easier for you to knock out this once, or is it repetitive?

> Would this task fit better in someone else’s portfolio of related tasks?

Choosing the Delegee:

> Does this person have the skills to accomplish the task?

§ If not, who will train this person?

> Does this person have the resources (funding, software, etc.) to accomplish the task?

§ If not, can you provide these?

> Does this person have the seniority in your organization to accomplish the task?

§ If not, does this person need a promotion or a raise?

> Does this person have the time and bandwidth to add this on top of other responsibilities?

> Is the person actually interested in the task or will it be perceived as a chore or punishment?

> Do other leaders agree that this person is the right choice?

> Have you alerted the person that new responsibilities are coming?

> Are you taking the opportunity to affirm that person by recognizing the honor of a bigger role?

Assigning the task:

> Ideally you can put the assignment in writing to clarify your thoughts and the mission itself.

> Have you planned an appropriate meeting with the person to review everything thoroughly?

> Ask the delegee to describe what they think the task is and how they will do it.

> Have you informed other affected people (team members, customers, etc.) of the delegation?

Increasing chances for long term-success:

> Mark your calendar for appropriate intervals to check in on the progress and discover issues.

> If the delegation fails, determine the necessary adjustments.

§ Did you pick the wrong person?

§ Does the person need additional training or resources?

> If the delegation succeeds, prepare for additional success.

§ Note whether the delegee shows promise for even further responsibilities now or later.

§ Thank the person for accepting the new challenge and succeeding with it.

§ If appropriate, publicly acknowledge the delegee’s success.