CPD tips - Learning delegation skills in leadership

Leadership is a highly sought-after quality both inside and outside of the business world. An essential trait of capable leadership is knowing how and when to delegate. The following CPD article will outline key questions you may have, including why delegation is important in good leadership, as well as provide some helpful tips on how to delegate effectively.

What are delegation skills?

Delegation skills refer to the act of redirecting tasks and initiatives to other team members. You might delegate work to distribute responsibility more evenly, or because the task or initiative is more relevant to another team member’s priorities, skills, or interests. A task can be delegated in its entirety or a small proportion of a larger task. Delegation tends to happen in project management, but also is equally as important in the day-to-day activities of a leader or manager.

Why is delegation important in leadership?

Delegation is one of the most crucial skills that a manager should learn. It’s not just a manager who benefits — everyone benefits from the positive impact of delegation, from the team members to the entire organisation. Below are some of the key advantages that delegating can bring to any task or project you may be in a leadership position of:

Encourages skill development and maximizes potential: Delegation provides opportunities for employees to learn new skills and take on new challenges. When employees are given autonomy and trust, they are more likely to take ownership of their work and reach their full potential.

Increase productivity: A team will always consist of people with many different skillsets and areas of expertise. A leader should know who best to assign to what and to recognise the potential benefits of utilising these skills. Moreover, it will give your team members the opportunity to take on more responsibility and leverage the strengths, talents and perspectives of your team.

Build trust with the team: Even though you are in a position of leadership, you are still an active part of a team. Trust is the foundation of the professional relationships between the leader and employees. Giving trust to your employees helps them improve their decisions regarding completing tasks and enhances teamwork.

Reduce your workload: There are only so many hours in the day and only so much you would be able to do or oversee yourself as an individual. With effective delegation and proper management guidance for tasks, you can save time and effort and focus on your wider goals and vision for the future. This gives you more time to focus on your responsibilities and priorities, while developing the skills and confidence of your team members.

How to improve your delegation skills

Delegation really shows its value when leaders have the abilities to do this right. By sharing the load of responsibilities, you’re not only investing in your team’s careers, but it also means you won't waste time, leading to increased productivity and business output. However, to improve your delegation skills, you must first determine when and if delegation is the most appropriate course of action. You need to ask yourself: 

• Is there someone else who has the necessary information or expertise to complete the task? Essentially, is this a task that someone else can do, or is it critical that you do it yourself?
• Does the task provide an opportunity to grow and develop someone’s skills?
• Is this a task that will need to be repeated?
• Is time available for adequate training, for questions and answers and for opportunities to check progress?
• Is this a task that I should delegate? Tasks critical for long-term success, such as essential team recruitment, genuinely may need your full attention.

You can improve your delegation skills, as with any skill, by getting real world experience. On the job training and trial and error in a leadership role will quickly show your strengths and weaknesses. While first-hand experience is invaluable, it is also useful to study the act of delegating. This can involve a formal CPD course, or you could study leadership by following a mentor, learning from a person in your industry or even someone throughout history. This can provide important and often surprising lessons, hints and tips on how to be more effective at delegating when in a senior role.

Simple tips how to delegate effectively in leadership

Effective managers need to know how to delegate and what they can do to ensure success, but the act of delegating to others is easier said than done. Leaders may have trouble delegating for a variety of reasons. It means trusting your team and can be hard to let go of projects. It also requires more feedback than when doing the work by yourself. Keep in mind the following tips that can make the delegation process more understandable and manageable. 

• Know what to delegate: Some tasks can be completed alone, or may have been pre-assigned. However, if you have a clear idea of what is outside of your own skillset and can be delegated to team members you will save on time wasted and improve likelihood of success.

• Define the desired outcome: If everyone involved in the task or project is clear what the overall desired results are then delegates can be greater entrusted to work more effectively and productivity to achieve this objective.

• Clearly communicate who is being given which tasks and why: Team members should be informed what they individually are expected to do and why they are best suited for that role. This is a clear way to demonstrate superior leadership, improving morale and preventing any resentment.

• Empower and support delegates: Give your colleagues time and space necessary to work within their skillsets to complete the tasks you have assigned to them. Know how to delegate so that something productive is always being worked on within the time given and no one is standing idle or a task left not started.

• Establish a clear communication channel: Once you have delegated tasks and roles, that does not mean you are not still a part of the process. Ensure you are easily reachable to your team and that they can also communicate with each other as needs be.

• Hold staff accountable: If staff fail to meet your expectations within a reasonable level or timeframe, as a leader you should be prepared to hold them accountable and adapt to prevent this from happening in future.

• Allow for failure: Everyone is human and humans make mistakes or sometimes fail. As a leader you should be prepared to accept this possibility whether it is because of you personally, or a result of your team. 

• Give credit where it’s due: An excellent leader knows when to praise their team and when to reward a job well done. Delegating tasks and appreciating a task well done demonstrates that you are all contributing together and that you recognise and appreciate the skills they bring to the job.

• Get employee feedback: Learn from your employees and find out how they feel about any work tasks they complete. If they are struggling, you can provide them with extra support. Or, if workers are thriving, you can delegate additional responsibilities to them.

As a leader, delegating is so vital because you can’t—and shouldn’t—do everything yourself. Delegating empowers your team, builds trust, and assists with their ongoing professional development. Being able to delegate can significantly increase your team’s overall productivity. These tips and fundamentals should help you get started toward developing your own delegation skills.

CPD courses - Where to find delegation skills training?

We hope this article was helpful. Due to the benefits in learning effective delegation, there are a growing amount of relevant CPD training courses, workshops, seminars and eLearning available designed to help professionals develop and improve their delegation abilities. All the training listed in our CPD Courses Catalogue has been reviewed and approved as being high-quality and is suitable for any further learning requirements.

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