13 Mar How to Delegate Without Appearing Too Bossy
When you are a leader of a team or department, you will have a variety of tasks and projects on your plate. And while you may be a go-getter, you can’t do it all. You need to delegate! Unfortunately, many individuals don’t know how to delegate or they avoid it altogether. Learning how to delegate effectively and without appearing too demanding is a master skill. This is something that will help you in all areas of your career and personal life!
Here are four tips to help you learn this skill and improve your own productivity.
1. Explain Why
As you ask your employees to help you complete certain tasks and projects, begin by telling them why. Why do you need this project done? Why you are asking for help? What is so important about this task? When individuals understand why they are doing something or why you are requesting their help, they’ll be more willing and motivated to get the job done. When you don’t take the time to explain to your employees, you let their imagination run wild, which can negatively affect their engagement and ultimately their performance.
2. Choose Your Employees Wisely
As you learn how to delegate effectively, one of the first things you should do is recognize each of your employees’ strengths. As certain tasks and responsibilities need to be distributed, think about these strengths. Based on strengths, who would be best to accomplish these tasks? Avoid trying to delegate all unwanted tasks to the same individual. This can quickly burn that employee out. However, if you do have similar tasks, aim to give that to the same individual as they will be more familiar with the task. Doing so improves the quality of the work, and more.
3. Remember Who You Are
A challenge many managers face as they learn how to delegate effectively is remembering that despite their leadership position, they are not better than the other employees. While you may have worked hard to get where you are, if you do not treat your team members well and develop a relationship of trust, strong communication, and respect, your employees will be less likely to help you out in those times of need.
4. Show Appreciation
As you delegate certain tasks and responsibilities, there is one phrase that is often forgotten: “thank you.” As you ask your employees for help, make sure to show appreciation for their time and effort. When they do a good job, let them know. If they exceed your expectations, tell them. When you show appreciation to your employees, they feel like their efforts are noticed and they are more likely to help you when you are in a jam.
Learning how to delegate successfully is a skill that many leaders lack. And unfortunately, when you don’t do this job well, it makes you appear as a demanding, bossy leader that your employees will not respect and trust. By working on the above four tips, you will greatly improve your delegation and leadership skills.
