You learned how to delegate in kindergarten, here’s a refresher

I’ve had good bosses in my career, but one boss was outstanding.

What made him great to work for?

He knew how to delegate.

He defined problems clearly, while giving his team the freedom, and trust, to find the right solution. That’s a recipe for happy and motivated employees.

Here’s how you can delegate just as effectively.

Sometimes the best frameworks, are the oldest, and you probably learned this one in kindergarten: who, what, when, where, why and how.

Who: Define who is responsible for what. The key? Do not have multiple people responsible for the same task. Either chaos will ensue, or nothing will happen at all. I’m not sure which is worse.

What: Provide a clear description of the problem, what success looks like, and how potential outcomes should be prioritized (ex. cost vs quality).

When: Is there a hard due date? If not, you might want to set one anyways. As Parkinson’s law states:

“Work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion.”

Where: Attach or link to crucial information. You already know where it is, what’ll take you 30 seconds to track down may take your subordinate half an hour.

Why: For anyone to enjoy their work, they have to know why it matters. Let your team know up front, and then remind them about the impact they made after they’ve solved the problem!

How: Don’t solve the problem yourself. No one wants to feel like a paper pusher. But do point your team in the right direction. Suggest helpful next steps to get started.

Not only will the work you request get done much faster, you’ll be fostering the next generation of great managers, by showing them how to delegate effectively.

Next time you assign work, give this framework a shot. Your subordinates will love you for it.

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