Better Delegation through Lessons Learned

Many managers have a great deal of difficulty delegating work to others. But here's something to remember whenever you do delegate:

The litmus is not whether the person completes the assignment as you would have done it. Different does not mean wrong. What ultimately matters is simply how well the person's actions addressed the issue that they were designed to address.

The key is in making sure they understand exactly what the issue is that you want them to address - before they take action. Once they're clear on that, you can actually encourage them to take whatever approach they feel most appropriate and see what happens as a result.

You may be surprised at how well they do. And if they don't, you already know how to mop up, so do that. Then, ask them:

• What caused these Unintended Consequences?
• How might they be avoided in the future?
• What are the Lessons to be Learned from the experience?

Then - and this is really important - in that same conversation, delegate something else to them so they can immediately apply these Lessons Learned. (It helps if you already have something in mind.)

Taking this approach will likely improve both their performance, and your comfort in delegating to them. Try it and see for yourself.