The Benefit of Delegating Responsibilities

Guidelines to assign tasks effectively. A good entrepreneur, by nature, is a leader who likes to have everything under control. However, some of them choose to work by themselves tasks that are maybe part of their employees’ functions or could be easily accomplished by these ones without altering their main responsibilities. While being in control is a great quality, it can become an obstacle to success if the employer cannot understand the importance of delegating responsibilities effectively to employees or business partners. Even if you are self-employed without staff, you must be able to delegate and/or outsource certain responsibilities to professional consultants, such as accountant and lawyer. When you assign tasks to others in your team, you have more time available to perform other functions. It also allows you to give your employees the opportunity to grow in their jobs and demonstrate their true potential. In terms of management, delegating is key to the success of any business or executive, and should not be limited to simply giving orders. Among other things, you must communicate tasks clearly and ensure that the employees have the necessary tools to carry them out. You must also reward the employees for a job well done, even with a thank you note or a statement of appreciation for a job well done. Following are five valuable tips to delegate responsibilities effectively: Identify the tasks you can delegate: There are key functions within your company that nobody except you must perform such as: negotiating the rent for the business premises or the purchase of your main raw material. But there are other duties that consume much of your time, and any of your employees can perform them without any problem. Make a list of your daily tasks and evaluate which of them you can delegate to free up your time. Determine the right employee for each task: Have clear reasons as to why a particular job is being delegated and select the person that will perform it according to his/her experience and talent. Remember that the employee must feel free to run the task as he/she deems appropriate, and not necessarily with the same style you are accustomed to. Communicate your expectations clearly: When assigning responsibilities, explain clearly what your expectations are, and set clear parameters for evaluating the work performed. It is important to keep the communication lines open at all times and to let your employee know that you are available if there are any doubts or problems. Make sure that the employee has all the tools necessary to carry out the work. Don’t be afraid of losing authority: Sometimes managers or business owners are reluctant to allocate responsibilities because they do not want to “lose” the absolute control over the work. But the reality is that a good leader is one that can achieve the best from his employees and gets results by placing his confidence in his team. If you communicate clearly and monitor them effectively, you will be able to rely on your employees and you will be amazed at the results. Reward good work: Although money is the rewarding method preferred by many, in these difficult times you can keep your employees happy with simple details like saying “good job” or “Congratulations.”  If the employee doesn’t complete the task successfully, it is important to discuss the issue. Remember that delegating will give you and your employees the opportunity to grow, both as professionals and as individuals. This development could lead to the expansion of your business. This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute an endorsement or guarantee of accuracy or applicability for any particular purpose. Neither Popular nor any of its affiliates, subsidiaries, or related companies shall be liable for any special, direct, or indirect harm stemming from the information contained in this article. Should you require further information or guidance on the subject of this article, you should always seek the advice of a competent professional of your choice.