Delegating Work (HBR 20-Minute Manager Series)

Preparing to Delegate

You may have a general idea about the project or task you’d like to delegate, but before making an assignment you’ll want to do some prep work. You’ll need to note your reasons for delegating, determine exactly what work to hand off (and what not to), decide how large a slice of the work you’ll delegate (just a task or an entire function?), and specify the skills required to successfully complete it. Next you’ll identify the best person for the assignment and determine the level of authority to be delegated. Following all these steps may seem like overkill, but doing so will ensure that you make the right assignment to the right person for the right reasons—and with a high probability of success. Let’s walk through each ...