How Do You Know You’ve Delegated?

Delegation is a skill.  There’s a difference between Delegation and dumping (also known as Abdication).

To know whether or not you have delegated a job well ask yourself these questions:

Have You thought about the job after You’ve delegated it?  If you have, it means that your attention is on it, so there is a part of you that is concerned about whether or not it is being done the way you want it. You probably dumped it, meaning you weren’t really clear in your instructions, and you didn’t ensure the person thoroughly understands what they are doing.

Does the job get delivered to you by the time you want it?  If not, there is a problem.  Have you been notified with advanced notice that the delay was going to occur?  This one can be an indicator that either you have not delegated, or that you have delegated to someone that is not able to do the job.

When the job gets delivered to you does it look and feel the way you’d like it to?  If not, effective delegation has not occurred.