Delegating Effectively in 6 Steps by Phillip Van Hooser

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Delegating gets you (and others) ready for greater responsibilities and promotion, and it offers the organization greater continuity while minimizing the loss of talent. 

There is no perfect approach to delegating tasks. However, there are some steps in the delegation process that need to be clearly identified and clearly followed for delegating to be a win-win-win for your employee, the organization, and yourself. 

Following these six steps will help you ensure that you handle the conversation to delegate tasks the right way. 

Set the Stage 

Right up front, share what the vision, purpose, and end goals are for the task/s you’re delegating. 

This helps your people understand exactly what they are working toward, why it is important, and what success will look like. 

What, Not How  

Hear that very carefully. You don’t want to tell the person to whom you’re delegating how to do the job—that’s micromanagement, not delegating. 

But you do want him/her/they to know what the end result will look like. Do you want the results to be faster, cheaper, safer, or higher quality? Whatever it is, be specific. 

Stephen Covey, in his book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, said, “Begin with the end in mind.” Your people won’t know what the end should be unless you share it with them. 

What Are the Limits? 

In other words, don’t delegate a task to someone, let them go out with great excitement and enthusiasm, only to tell them later they overstepped important parameters. 

It is defeating to hear: 

“Oh, wait a minute, you can’t do that because we don’t have the time.” 

Or… 

“We don’t have the money to do that.” 

Or… 

“You can’t use those resources on this.” 

Right up front, tell them: 

“This is your task.” 

“The end results should look like this.” 

“And you are limited by these parameters (time, money, other resources, authority, etc.)” 

Did I Hear You Say… 

In the conversation to delegate tasks, a lot of information is shared all at once. It is the responsibility of the person delegating the tasks to ensure the message is heard and received correctly.   

If anyone messes that up, it’s the one doing the delegating—not the one receiving the assignment. 

The person you’re delegating to may be thinking, “I’m still thinking about number one and they’re already on number three. I don’t even know what was said about number two!”   

That’s not a bad thing! It’s likely your employee is excited about the process and their mind is whirling with ideas. But you’ve moved forward with additional steps and they may have missed important information along the way. 

For clarification, simply pause the conversation and ask: 

“Okay, I know I have given you a lot of information. Tell me what you have heard me say so I can make sure I have communicated clearly and correctly.” 

What they repeat back to you may be incorrect. Verbally take responsibility for not communicating clearly and then move forward with the correct information. 

That Gives Me an Idea… 

Back to those thoughts that were swirling in your employee’s mind… 

“I would like to hear some of your initial ideas for this particular project—what are your first thoughts?” 

Now, frankly, don’t expect too much, because you’ve just now delegated the project to them. But, even in the early stage of delegation, ideas surface. You want to have at least an idea of what they are thinking. 

But this is really important to keep in mind. 

Ask about their ideas and plans before you tell them what you think good plans would be. 

This way they feel freer to share their ideas. The point is, leaders should want their employees to feel free to share ideas and thoughts without hindering or hampering that flow. The delegation conversation can be a great place for that! 

Getting in on When 

When you delegate a task, create a completion date. I’m a big believer that whenever possible, it’s important to create a negotiated completion date. In other words, I’m assigning the responsibility; however, I want my employee to be in on identifying and determining what that completion date would be. 

For example, you can ask: 

“So when do you think you can have this task completed?” 

Allow them to respond and, if necessary, negotiate the timeline as needed. Also, include a midway follow-up meeting to discuss the progress of the project. This will ensure that no one is waiting until the last minute to start the task. 

Delegating in 6 Steps 

Using these six steps when delegating tasks and responsibilities truly makes delegation a collaborative effort! Give it a try and watch the success you, your people, and your organization realize! 

Phillip Van Hooser, CSP, CPAE is committed to helping organizations transform their business outcomes by building engaged employee relationships. He is an award-winning keynote speaker and author on engaged leadership and communication. To learn how to build influence and secure greater opportunities through effective professional communication, pick up a copy of his book Earning the Right to Be Heard. Connect with Phil on LinkedIn and Facebook.

Vision: Do You Know Where You’re Goin’ To? by Phillip Van Hooser

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Forgive the incorrect grammar, but superstar singer Diana Ross made famous the following lyrics: 

Do you know where you’re goin’ to? 
Do you like the things that life is showin’ you? 
Where are you goin’ to? 
Do you know? 

You see, being crystal clear about your destination is absolutely critical for long-term success in any venture. If we lack a clear vision, we’re easily distracted and have no ultimate destination. 

So I ask you—do you know? 

Have you firmly set your sights on where you’re ‘goin’ to’? 

If you have, you’re better prepared to choose the right road to get you there. If you haven’t, choosing just any road will get you nowhere. 

In later lines from the song, Ross reminds us of the reality of not knowing: 

Now looking back at all we’ve planned 
We let so many dreams just slip through our hands 
Why must we wait so long before we see 
How sad the answers to those questions can be 

I encourage you to spend some time deciding where you’re going. When you crystallize your dreams into destinations and maintain a strong desire to exceed, I think you’ll soon find yourself on the road to where you want to be! 

Phillip Van Hooser, CSP, CPAE, is committed to helping organizations transform their business outcomes by building engaged employee relationships. He is an award-winning keynote speaker and author on engaged leadership and communication. His most recent book, 30-Day Journey to Accelerate Your Success, co-authored with leadership expert Alyson Van Hooser, is available to order from Sound Wisdom.

"You Know What I Mean…”: The Assumption That Hurts Communication by Phillip Van Hooser

“While I didn’t actually explain that, I’m sure you know what I mean…” 

How many times have you heard something like that statement? More importantly, how many times have you said or thought it? Unless you’re communicating with a certified mind reader, believing a person will know what you mean without making the effort to tell them is the same as believing you will win the lottery. It could happen—but unfortunately, it seldom does. 

You Know What They Say About Assuming… 

Let’s be clear. Assumptions are the mark of a careless communicator. “To assume” something provides evidence that a person hasn’t taken time to ask, verify and evaluate. Besides that, people who deal in unverified assumptions leave themselves open to a myriad of communication disconnects and breakdowns. 

It’s never a question if making assumptions will get us into trouble. The real questions are: When will the troubles begin? Where might they crop up? With whom will we have problems? And how much will our errant assumptions actually cost in time, dollars and goodwill? 

We should never believe “you know what I mean.” When communicating, we might think avoiding unnecessary explanations up front will save us time in the process. When in actuality, sooner or later, we have to explain the process anyway—what we did, how it was done, and why we did it. 

If the process is explained before action is taken, most people are still open to listening. However, if explanations are offered after action has been taken, many people will already be frustrated by what they see as our insufficient communication approach. 

Explaining the Process Helps Us Communicate Better 

Failure to communicate doesn’t have to happen. It can be avoided by purposefully explaining the process that is to follow. So what are we really trying to do when we “explain the process?” 

Understand Your Objective 

Understanding how to explain the process begins with understanding your overall communication objectives. The communication we undertake may focus on one or more of these objectives. But knowing what our objectives are before we begin lessens the chances we will fail in our communication efforts. 

Is the objective to: 

✔️ Convey: You are the messenger or conduit through which information passes. 
✔️ Request: You are asking for something specific. 
✔️ Educate: You are providing information to prove the value of a concept, idea, or activity. 
✔️ Defend: You are supporting a position on which you stand. 
✔️ Question: You are seeking information. 
✔️ Confirm: You are working to erase doubt and confusion.  

What Others Sense  

Communicating the process is not only a verbal experience, it is also sensory in nature. Many people pride themselves on their ability to “read” others. While other people analyze their “gut feeling” regarding messages they receive. But to ensure the process is communicated effectively, take into consideration what others can sense from our words and the manner in which we deliver them. 

✔️ How we feel: Are you excited, embarrassed, desperate, disgusted? Our words and our delivery give indication of all these and more. 
✔️ If we like them or not: Words and demeanor can create connection or cause a chilling effect on relationships. 
✔️ If we’re glad to be there: Do our words and non-verbal cues ring with authenticity or seem less than genuine? 
✔️ If we’re lying: Most of us, thankfully, haven’t developed the ability to lie with the same non-verbal effect as telling the truth. 
✔️ If we’re sincere: Sincerity is hard to fake. Forced words and overplayed actions are easier to spot than we may think. 

Common Questions People Will Have 

Many of us are suspicious by nature—you know what I mean… When someone starts explaining the process to us, we start trying to read between the lines. So until we have acceptable answers to questions that concern us, we won’t be able to fully accept the “process” as legitimate. 

With that in mind, here are some common questions people have—questions to anticipate and prepare to answer when explaining the process: 

✔️ Is this really going to do any good? 
✔️ Is it possible that I could be hurt as a result of what happens? 
✔️ Should I get involved personally or just wait to see what happens? 
✔️ What is the real motivation behind what I am seeing and hearing? 
✔️ Will this have a negative effect on my relationship with ______________? 
✔️ Will this cause more problems than it is worth? 

Communicating effectively is hard and has far-reaching implications on our ability to lead. 

If you’re struggling with so-so communication skills, We Need to Talk: Building Trust When Communicating Gets Critical has the help you need to build solid relationships when results are riding on your abilities. 

Get a copy today and get started being a better communicator! 

Phillip Van Hooser, CSP, CPAE is the recipient of the 2019 Cavett Award from the National Speakers Association. He is committed to helping organizations transform their business outcomes by transforming the talent of their people. His book We Need to Talk: Building Trust When Communicating Gets Critical is now available from Sound Wisdom and can be purchased from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-a-Million, Porchlight Books, and other fine retailers.