I was transitioning from being an individual contributor and stepping into my first leadership role. Finally, I was becoming a team manager. Something I had been aspiring to for a while. I had my goal and I now had the chance to lead others. It was a great day for me. At least, that is what I thought. It dawned upon me, that I never had any formal leadership training. I was good at being a customer service agent, but I had no real grasp of what it meant to be a leader.
Having to lead subject matter experts was new to me. I was one myself and all of a sudden I had to lead people who used to be me. I was struggling to find the right balance between knowing the work and actually letting go of the work. The struggles are real for a lot of new leaders which is why I am starting a new series of 10 important topics for a new leader.
First one is Delegtation, a topic that I find incredibly important to be a successful leader. I was not realizing it at the time, but my previous leader had actually given me a lot of tasks to perform within the team which were leadership tasks. I was informally growing as the leader within the team, when my team manager was not around. The power of delegation can help build up a strong successor pipeline so leaders can continue their growth journey to other jobs.
Why is delegation so important?
- Empowers your team: By delegating tasks, you give your team members the opportunity to grow, learn new skills, and take ownership of their work.
- Saves you time:Delegating allows you to focus on higher-level tasks that require your strategic thinking and expertise.
- Increases productivity: When team members are empowered and motivated, they are more likely to be productive and efficient.
- Builds trust: Delegating shows your team that you trust them to do a good job, which can strengthen your relationships and foster a positive work environment.
How to delegate effectively: (start with urgency/importance matrix)
- Be clear about expectations:Clearly communicate the task, the desired outcome, and the deadline, so your team member has a good overview of the task at hand.
- Provide necessary resources:Ensure that your team members have everything they need to be successful. This means ensuring access to file, reports etc.
- Offer support and guidance:Be available to answer questions and provide support when needed. You can use your 1-2-1’s or setup ad hoc timings in the beginning, when they take over a task.
- Give feedback:Provide constructive feedback on your team members’ performance. This means giving advice on what improvement areas are there and also mention what worked well.
I have to admit that I did not learn this early on in my leadership journey. It is still a challenge to delegate as a leader as you can feel you are losing control. If you need more guidance on delegation, a leadership coach can provide personalized support and help you develop the skills you need to be a successful leader.
Contact me for more details on leadership coaching and we can setup a chemistry call to identify how I can best support you as a coach.