315 LaFortune Student Center 
Delegating Tasks
Contrary to popular belief among many students, being a leader does not mean you must do every task to ensure it is done properly. Being a leader includes empowering others to improve the overall organization, as well as providing the necessary tools to optimize the performance of the group. Empowering typically comes through delegating responsibilities to fellow club members. As more members get involved (and take ownership of projects), the more effective your organization will become.
Before becoming effective in delegating tasks, leaders must master the following three skills:
TRUST
HONESTY
COMMUNICATION
After you feel comfortable with the three skills listed above, you should move on to the actual process of delegating projects to your peers. A simple process to remember is the "4 A's of Delegation," which are:
Assess
- What tasks am
I currently responsible for?
- What task should
I delegate? (see below to assess)
- Who is the most effective person to get this task done?
- What expectations
will I have for the completion of this task?
- Who can I count
on to get the task completed effectively?
- How will I know
when the job is completed correctly? How will I evaluate this person?
Assign
- How will I select
to whom I will delegate?
- How will I inform
my expectations of the project to this person?
- Follow
up with the individual and ask them to coordinate the task/project.
- Here are some
suggestions on how to delegate work
- Take a show
of hands
- Ask for volunteers
- Pass around
a sign-up list
- Appoint someone
- Assign a task to a committee
- Take a show
of hands
Available
- Make yourself
available should the person have questions.
- Strengthen the
lines of communication by reminding your peers that they can come
to you with any questions you may have.
- If you do not have the answers to their questions, be sure to make your members aware of other people they can contact for assistance (e.g. club advisor, Student Activities Office, etc.).
Affirm
- Follow through
with your expectations.
- Praise when a
job was well-done. Address mistakes in a proactive manner using constructive
criticism.
- Evaluate the process. Did the job get done? What can we do better in the future?
The most difficult part of the four step process is assessing the current situation. Too often, leaders are reluctant to turn over decision making skills to other people, for fear that things won't get done the right way. As a leader, you must keep in mind that sometimes you will have to sacrifice your ideas when others are delegated projects. As long as the quality of work is acceptable, try to avoid being critical of others.
In order to better
assess your current situation, here are some typical examples of when
you should delegate a task:
- When somebody else has more skills than you in a particular area.
- When an individual
has approached you with willingness to help out on a specific project.
- When someone
can develop themselves by taking on a challenging task.
- When you don't
have the time to handle your other responsibilities effectively.
- When planning takes more time than implementing.
On the other hand,
here are some situations where you may wish to not delegate a task.
- When the person has a negative attitude about the task/project.
- When other people
are too busy to complete the entire job.
- When the project
requires responsibilities members are not capable of handling
- When you will have to change the attitude/behavior of that person
For more information regarding developing a more effective and efficient organization, contact the Student Activities Office.
