You cannot do everything yourself. And the bigger your business grows, the truer this fact becomes. Therefore, it is essential that you master the art of delegation.

Delegating the day-to-day work of your business frees you up to think and dream big, reach more prospects and engage customers, nail down new sources of money, and do the items that only you can do. And, you will grow a team that develops the hands-on experience and skills needed to support you in your business when you are not working. Delegating successively builds trust, spurs engagement, and improves the health of your organization.

Here are 6 tips to assist you in delegating effectively so your team shares the workload and makes progress that benefits everyone.

Pick the Right People.

The first time you delegate any task, it is almost certainly going to take longer than doing it yourself. That is normal. Over time, it will get easier. Select the person who has the skills needed to complete the task. Also, leave some room for allowing people to choose the task they are interested in completing. Doing this builds a level of trust and inspires engagement among your team.

Explain Why You Are Delegating.

Be specific with your asks, including why a task needs to be done, the deadlines, and the expected results. Vague instructions beget vaguely terrible output. Be systematic when delegating. Take time to explain why you are choosing to delegate the task and the expected outcome. Share how completing the task is an opportunity to take on more responsibilities or grow new skills. Keep in mind that delegation is not

shifting work you should be doing to someone else’s plate; it is getting those tasks you should not be doing off yours. Know the difference and communicate it well.

Provide the Right Instructions

Every good delegator provides basic and important information without micromanaging. Tell employees your goals or the milestones you hope to hit and let them tackle the problem in their own way. Do not look for perfection or micromanage; someone else might complete a task differently than you would. If you get the result you are looking for, that is okay. Once you have delegated, trained, and set up a schedule for

touching base, back away from the project. To succeed (and to help your employee succeed), you must let go.

Delegate Responsibility and Authority.

Delegation does not just mean handing off a task. Ensure your team members have the resources they need to do the job. You want to be certain that the person selected for the new task or project has the tools and resources they need to achieve success. Make sure that after you delegate a task, the person has the skills they need to complete the task— or provide a way for them to work on those skills. For example, if you

ask someone to use a selected tool that they have never used before to complete a task, make sure there is a plan for them to become familiar with the tool first. Foster an environment and culture where people feel they can make decisions, ask questions, and take the necessary steps to complete the work.

Check the Work and Provide Feedback.

There is nothing worse than a manager who delegates something to an employee and then blames the employee when something goes wrong. Do not be that manager. Monitoring your team’s work does two things: it motivates them, and it helps you catch problems early. If the progress of the projects moves too far from the discussed guidelines, it is time for you to take immediate and decisive corrective action. Do this first

through verbal discussion, in-person whenever possible. Agree on a plan to return to targeted goals and explain the consequences for not getting back on track. But, if the situation does not quickly improve, you may need to take the task back and delegate it to someone else.

Praise and Celebrate: Say “Thank You!”

When someone completes a task or project you delegated, show genuine appreciation, and point out specific things they did right or well.  When you make a note of those specifics, you are giving people a roadmap for what they should continue to do to be successful. It will inspire loyalty, provide real satisfaction for work done, and become the basis for mentoring and performance reviews.  And, do not forget the

greatest WIN, your team member is saving you time and providing value. Say thanks!

The job of any manager is to get things done through other people, and delegation is the way to do it. The sooner you master this vital skill, the sooner your business — and your bottom line — will benefit.