10 Steps to Effective Delegation

By Keith Rosen, MCC

The Executive Sales Coach™

Executives and managers often feel frustrated when their staff doesn't perform a task the way they expected. This dissatisfaction can be eliminated by sharpening your communication and by filling in the gaps that are often left open for interpretation. Here are some guidelines:

1. Know what the task is.
2. Have in mind the end result or desired outcome that you want to produce.
3. Find a capable person to whom to delegate the task.
4. Share with them the results that you desire.
5. Ask and inform them why it's important. Rather than simply telling them what to do, make someone feel needed, included, and part of the team and their performance will improve.
6. Acknowledge not only their role but how this new task will benefit them and their career.
7. Ask them how it's going to get done. "What do you feel is the best way to handle/complete this?" "How have you handled something like this in the past?" The answers to these questions will determine if they are comfortable performing this task and whether or not they have the right tools, information, and strategies needed to complete it.
8. Determine the exact time frame of the task. Ask your employee when they feel that they can complete this. This creates ownership in the person's mind to get it done, since they create the time line themselves. If the time they choose isn't appropriate, ask what would have to happen for the task to be completed sooner.
9. Reconfirm. Go over all of the details of the project — the timeframe, the steps involved, etc. — to ensure that no detail has been left unexamined.
10. Most importantly, make sure to follow up to ensure that the task was done on time and successfully. Otherwise, you send the message that accountability does not exist in your business.

    About Keith Rosen, MCC — The Executive Sales Coach

    
    Keith Rosen is the executive sales coach that top corporations, executives, and sales professionals call first. As an engaging speaker, Master Coach, and well-known author of many books and articles, Keith is one of the foremost authorities on coaching people to achieve positive change in their attitude, behavior, and results. For his work as a pioneer and leader in the coaching profession, Inc. magazine and Fast Company named Keith one of the five most respected and influential executive coaches in the country.

    If you're ready for better results quickly, contact Keith about personal or team coaching and training at 1-888-262-2450 or e-mail info@profitbuilders.com. Visit Keith Rosen online at Profit Builders and be sure to sign up for his free newsletter The Winners Path.