"Publicly recognise people for the successful completion of work"

Entrust responsibility and authority: Delegating just the task is not good enough because very often, the leaders will end up doing less work. The person to whom the work has been assigned should be given some level of authority. The leader should also create a support system for the person by informing others about the delegated work.

Trust your people: Delegation starts with trust. A leader should have faith in his people and should give them a chance to do the job their way. Micromanaging can be counterproductive and doesn’t create learning. A task for leaders is to prepare future leaders.

Assignments should be clearly defined: There should be clarity in expectations so that goals are understood. It is a good idea to explain what must be achieved, in what time frame and the reasons for delegating the responsibility. The explanation needn’t be too detailed — leave room for creativity. Agree on milestones for the review of progress and ensure that things are moving in the right direction.

Select the best person to delegate to: Think about the skills or prior experiences required for the work and select the person accordingly. People have different working styles; select the one whom you believe is more suitable than the others. Delegation is done for the benefit of the organisation and not just for training people.

Acknowledge good work: This sounds easy but is often ignored. It is important to publicly recognise people for the successful completion of the work delegated. This not only motivates them but also encourages them to perform consistently and increases loyalty. A simple ‘Thank you’ will give them the feeling of satisfaction for the work done