You need to delegate a task to someone. How do you make sure they can handle it?

As someone famously said - Delegation is not about getting rid of tasks, but empowering to help achieve common goals. As we delegate- Need to assess the task at hand, its complexity, the competence ability, the business urgency being delegated to fulfill. The delegation also need to be followed up with clear expectation setting on the timelines, outcomes expectations Clarify why its delegated and empower the person with responsibility as well as authority Offer support as needed , in terms of guidance, time or resources. Be wary of not to micromanage Help review and course correct if need be and support the person. Finally appreciate the person for his initiative and the outcome

I would add - Provide ALL the information you have about the context of the work in a manner the person to whom you are delegating understands. Information IS power and the more you share it, the more emPOWERed you make the people. Over time, help the person relate his/her purpose to the class of work he/she is getting to do. This to me is more important than clarifying the organisational purpose for the tasks.

Before delegating anything, consider the military truism, "You can delegate authority, but never responsibility." Ultimately, it's on you to make sure your people are A.) doing things right, and B.) doing the right things. I start with the complexity, criticality, and priority of the task to be delegated and try to assess the impact of potential downstream problems if something goes wrong. I assess the team I've got, their roles and responsibilities, and I line up my people accordingly. It's on me to make sure I've communicated clear vision, along with objectives, sub-tasks, and downstream dependencies. After that, it's on me to keep the action officers accountable while giving them room to work.

To ensure someone can handle a delegated task, assess their skills, experience, and workload suitability. Clearly communicate task expectations, goals, and deadlines. Provide necessary resources and support, offer training if needed, and clarify any doubts. Set up checkpoints for progress tracking and offer guidance as required. Encourage open communication for addressing concerns promptly. Lastly, trust their capabilities and provide autonomy while being available for assistance.

Before delegating, understand the task's role in the project, its requirements, and team skills. This ensures the task fits the project goals and identifies the needed skills and resources. This is one of the crucial first steps that we need to take.

When you're passing off a task, think of it like having a chat with a friend. Just lay out what needs to be done, why it's important, and what everyone gets out of it. Then, agree on when it needs to be done, how you'll keep tabs on progress, and who's responsible for what. Clear communication isn't just about checking off boxes—it's about building trust and working together smoothly, especially when you're managing a program.

Communication is key assets that works either way in making and damaging a successful resource. Objectives and Key Results (OKR) are best way to help a resource / team / organization understand how each of us is connected to the larger Vision / Goal of the organization. Often times, people become productive when they know how their work out come is going to impact the final solution and who will be benefited in what ways. Resources can relate easily when they are aligned with the work and Goal of their task. OKRs indeed are the best way to communicate the Goals and tasks to the resources

The need for excellent communication skills only grows as you progress to more complex program management roles. You should not be delegating a task unless you are setting the person to whom your delegating up for success. And setting someone up for success starts with clearly communicating the task and the expectations. Be clear about the context, the expected outputs, and the deadline. Allow enough time and space for the employee to ask questions and make sure they understand the task before ending the conversation.

5W1H approach always ensure that all areas are well covered when we communicate the task by clearly addressing:- Why we have to carry out this task? What we want to do ? Who is involved? When we need to complete? Where we need to cover? How it can be performed ? All these questions will better prepare the delegate for the task.

Clearly communicate the task to the person you are delegating it to. Provide a detailed explanation of what needs to be done, including the desired outcomes, deadlines, and any specific instructions or guidelines. Ensure to answer any questions they may have and ensure they fully understand the task.

Ao delegar uma tarefa, começo avaliando cuidadosamente as habilidades e a carga de trabalho da pessoa para garantir uma correspondência adequada. Explico claramente os objetivos, expectativas e prazos, fornecendo todos os recursos necessários. Ofereço treinamento ou orientação inicial, se necessário, para fortalecer sua confiança e competência. Estabeleço pontos de controle regulares para monitorar o progresso, oferecendo feedback construtivo e apoio ao longo do caminho. Isso não só assegura que a tarefa será bem executada, mas também promove o desenvolvimento profissional do indivíduo, incentivando a aprendizagem e o crescimento dentro da equipe.

Don't assume that your responsibilities are done once you've delegated something. You can't just sit back and wait until the scheduled due date and then ask for your deliverables. Make sure you support your employees throughout the process. Ask them how they are getting on, if they need further clarification, if they've gotten stuck somewhere. If they need you to review in progress work, make sure you set aside time to provide feedback in a timely manner. Again, delegation of tasks is an opportunity for great leaders to challenge their teams. Challenging someone doesn't do any good if you don't make sure pave the way for them to be successful.

Offer any necessary resources, tools, or training to support the person in completing the task. Be available to answer questions, provide guidance, and offer assistance as needed. Ensure they have access to the information and tools required to carry out the task effectively.

When showing the delegate something that is new to them, we would show them how to do it and expect them to show us how they do it before letting them work independently. This approach ensures task will be carried in the most effective approach. In an era where one must be effective, it is still a practical approach to teach them the right way.

Provide the necessary support and resources to help the person complete the task effectively, include access to information, tools, training, or assistance from other team members. Offer guidance and clarification as needed, and be available for any further questions or support throughout the task.

Delegating tasks is a great way for your team to learn, but also for you to learn about being a better manager and a better program manager. Make sure you debrief with your employee after the task is complete to talk about how it went. Think of your common retrospective or lessons learned frameworks and apply them to this micro-scenario. Ask: What went well? What didn't go so well? What could we have done differently?" Document and store this as you would any other lessons learned documentation, take time to reflect on it, and apply your learning to the next scenario when you have to delegate.

More to consider: 1- Delegate to the right person. 2- Provide clear expectations. 3- Encourage autonomy and ownership. 4- Recognize and appreciate efforts.

In my experience, it is crucially important to have daily check-in on the progress of the task. This is so that any risk or issue that arises at the course of the task can be supported and escalated if required.

It is important to trust the person whom we have chosen to delegate the work to. If cannot trust them, don't delegate to them. If we trust them, we should have faith in them.

In my experience, the art of questionning is a key skill to ensure that the team member would be able to handle the assignment, questions such as : Do you foresee any difficulties/ roadblocks/ challenge to achieve this? In the worst case scenario, what might go wrong? How long would it take? what could prevent you from not being successful? What could help?