How to Effectively Delegate Tasks to Your Team

It’s no secret that delegating tasks can help you get more done. When extra hands pitch in, you can often take on more work and get results faster. The main caveat with outsourcing is the fact that you may not get a great return on your investment.

If you hire the wrong team members or don’t know how to effectively delegate tasks to your team, you could wind up with higher expenses and no results.

When your workload is too much to bear, it makes sense to consider hiring out. At the end of the day, you want to get results so follow these steps to help you effectively distribute and delegate tasks to your team.

Identify Which Tasks You Need to Delegate

This shouldn’t be too hard to do if you’re considering hiring some help. You likely have a good idea of which areas you need help with, but it’s important to narrow down the specific tasks.

You may want to outsource work that you don’t enjoy doing or that is simply too time-consuming. On the other hand, you may want to hire out work that you aren’t really good at. In this case, consider working with an expert who has a proven track record.

Narrow down your list of tasks by considering which ones will be great for delegation. For example, there are some tasks that require very few processes and checkups. This means someone can complete the task without your direct involvement every step of the way. This is the type of stuff you want to assign to other people. That way they can work on the task and you can still work productively on your assignments.

Choose the Right Person

Choosing the right person to complete the task is crucial. Too many business owners have wasted money, energy, and time by hiring the wrong team members. Be sure to create a detailed description of the person you’re looking for and set your own criteria for narrowing down applicants.

Depending on the role, you may want to see a resume or cover letter. You can even ask for references. Don’t be afraid of coming off as someone who’s too picky. You want to take your time when you’re considering a candidate. You can post the position on credible job boards or reach out to your network for referrals.

If you do have a few referrals, still carefully screen them just as you would a cold candidate. One thing you can do is set up a trial assignment to test out their skills and experience level. This will allow you to experience working together before setting up a long-term contract to ensure it’s a good fit.

Clearly Explain the Objectives and Process

Once you have the right people, you’ll need to focus on how you want to delegate tasks to your team. The best time to set expectations is during the beginning stages. Be clear about what each person will be working on and what their main objective is. It helps for people to know why they’re working on a certain project and what results they hope to gain from it.

Clearly explain the process and you may even want to have an onboarding meeting to discuss how the tasks will be laid out. Don’t be confusing, vague, or rush through the procedures. I also like to record short videos to give my team a visual regarding what I want them to achieve. Be open to answering questions and spending an extended amount of time in this onboarding stage. It will likely pay off in the long run.

You also want to add team members to your calendar and project management system so you can easily communicate with them if you need to assign a new task or check-in.

Set a Firm Deadline

Don’t forget to set a firm deadline when you delegate tasks to your team. The main goal is to make sure the work gets completed and is done correctly. Don’t have team members set their own deadlines. You know your business well and your goals better than anyone so it’s best that you decide when work should be turned in.

Make sure everyone is in agreement with the deadline and also let team members know the process should something come up and they need to ask for an extension. However, you want to make it clear that you’re only interested in working with people who can meet their deadlines and communicate during the process. Chasing after someone for work and repeatedly following up is too much of a headache to deal with.

In addition to setting deadlines, get clear on what the overall workflow will look like. When are certain team members available? Will you have regular meetings? Should everyone log onto to a chat feature like Slack to touch base during the day if you’ll be working remotely? These are all important questions to answer when you delegate tasks to your team.

Follow Up and Gather Feedback

Be sure to follow up with team members and keep lines of communication open. You can even train someone to work as your personal assistant and help manage your team.

As your team grows, you may want to schedule regular check-in meetings to go over progress and discuss any questions or issues. I have a client who hosts a few monthly meetings for different areas of the team and it helps things flow much more smoothly.

Ask for feedback from team members so you can make your process even better. If you hired the right people, odds are, they will provide you with helpful feedback allowing you to tweak your process to improve it for everyone all around.

Delegating tasks can really help take your business to the next level when done correctly. It all starts with having the right team and process.

Do you delegate tasks to your team? Why or why not and what does your process look like?