The Art of Delegating

I was asked about leaders delegating in a work setting. How do you do this effectively? Well like most things, delegation exists on a continium. Either you do this really well, very poorly or somewhere in the middle. Here are a few quick points to keep in mind when it comes to delegating: 1. Is the task something that you should keep and handle yourself because of a certain level of sensitivity related to the task? If yes, keep it and don't delegate it. 2. Is the task you want to delegate something you don't understand "how" to do, therefore, you are "assigning" it to someone else? If yes, do not delegate. Learn the task so that you are informed and understand perhaps some key concepts that you need to grasp. Please don't confuse this with collaborative work. I am not a financial expert. This is not my role in my current job. Therefore, when I need to gain information related to a budget issue, I bring in a budget expert. I work in collaboration with the individual. This is completely different from the delegation due to not understanding the task. Sometimes individuals in a Leadership role delegate simply because they don't understand the task AND are not curious enough to try. Don't be that person. 3. Are you delegating to empower someone else to grow, learn and be recgonized? By all means DELEGATE! As a leader you should look for opportunities to do this all the time. Empower people by showing them their expertise is valued and you TRUST them to lead on an important activity. This is super valuable for all involved. Remember, however, that they aren't YOU....so be ok with how they may go about the task. Let people find their way with your support and guidance. 4. Are you delegating busy work that you just don't desire to do? Well nobody likes to be on the receiving end of that! Avoid this..... 5. Are you delegating to be inclusive and promote the spirit of teamwork? This is a great use of delegating! Similar to number 3 but slightly different. 6. Are you controlling and just don't trust the job to be done without you being the one to actually do it? BE HONEST! If the answer is "yup" then ask yourself if you have the right people on your team. Perhaps you are right, they won't do it correctly. If that's the case, you need to examine your personnel. If it's more about you being controlling just know that leaders who empower others have the best outcomes. What say you?