October, 1999

There’s a right way and a wrong way to delegate. Dumping drudge work on powerless underlings as you rush out the door on your way to play golf will almost certainly guarantee a revolt. Using delegation as a motivational tool, however, helps avoid snafus. Here are four delegation pitfalls to avoid:

- Delegating on the run. If you’re heading to a meeting, shout directions, and then scurry away, you could leave employees befuddled and uncertain about how to proceed. Give employees the time to process your instructions and ask questions; this helps increase their confidence.

- Improvising. If you’re not sure what you want an employee to do, don’t think out loud while giving instructions. Before opening your mouth, be sure you can spell out exactly what must be done and the best way to do it. Better yet – write your instructions down. Leaving too much ambiguity forces subordinates to guess at what you want done and how.

- Over-explaining. Repeating obvious points or using a condescending tone of voice when explaining tasks will quickly alienate your staff.

- Obsessing over deadlines. Focusing too much on a distant deadline can actually encourage procrastination, so set start dates instead of due dates on long term projects.