Delegation Skills: 7 Tips for Success by Sharon Teitelbaum

Delegation Skills: 7 Tips for Success by Sharon Teitelbaum


I recently led three breakout sessions on delegation skills at a daylong Executive Forum for women in Advertising and Marketing/Communications, hosted by The Ad Club of Boston. Here are the highlights from those sessions, as identified by the participants in their evaluations.

1. It's OK to feel a little guilt when delegating . . . but don't let it stop you.

2. Delegating work that doesn't have to be done by you frees you up to do the work that can only be done by you. Chances are, that's what you're getting paid to do.

3. Delegating work to someone else often provides an opportunity for that person to develop their skills, be successful in a new way, be visible to others, grow their capacity by shouldering more of the work, or to benefit from it in other ways. As one participant wrote, "you are not just passing off the crap."

4. Delegating on the home front can alleviate stress at work and improve your work performance.

5. Sometimes what's hard about delegating is not being in control of the task, and not having it done to your standard. Know when and where a B+ job is good enough.

6. Don't assume you have to do it all yourself.

7. Lots of people have issues about delegating.

Tuning up your own individual delegation skills can increase your capacity for getting things done. Similarly, tuning up delegation skills in your organization can expand your group's productivity.

Copyright 2007 Sharon Teitelbaum. All rights reserved.


About the Author
Sharon Teitelbaum, author of "Getting Unstuck Without Coming Unglued: Restoring Work-Life Balance,” Master Certified Coach, helps high achievers re-claim their work-life balance. Her interactive coaching process provides a powerful catalyst towards greater career and life satisfaction. Visit Sharon's website at http://www.reclaimyourworklifebalance.com and subscribe to her e-course "The 5 Keys to Reclaiming Your Work-Life Balance”.