JS Tip 557: How Do We Delegate

The last in the series.

We’ve talked about when, what, and who to delegate.

Now—to end the discussion—we’ll talk about how.

We suggest three elements in the tasking:

Suggestion One: Use a process in the tasking. Identify the task, the timing, the standards, and the reasons. Ask for feedback: “Okay. What do you understand you’re supposed to do?” “What are your questions?” Be available. Be supportive. Don’t micromanage.

Suggestion Two: Use SMART goals to identify the task: Specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-based. (We’ve talked of SMART goals before, most recently in Tip 456 on December 29th, 2017. If you’d like a copy, let us know.)

Suggestion Three: Identify the necessary—and provided—support for the task: funding, people, time, and expertise.

One of our favorite quotations about the “how” of tasking is from George Patton: “Never tell people how to do things. Tell them what to do, and they’ll surprise you with their ingenuity.”

We like that.

Last week, we promised to talk about the differences between who and whom (manifest in our difficulty to identify “whom to task” or “who to task”).

Next week, we’ll do that.

We love this stuff.