[nrp soundbites] How to empower – Tip #3: Delegate to develop

[6 July 2021] Day 36 of the nrp* in Malaysia

Empowerment increases employee engagement. According to Joseph Folkman who analysed data on more than 7,000 employees, people who felt a low level of empowerment were rated with engagement at the 24th percentile, whereas those with a high level of empowerment were at the 79th percentile.

After Tip #1 and Tip #2, let’s see how delegation helps.

Now that you have set the environment for optimal empowerment, you can start by transferring some of your work to your team. Some leaders may look at it as taking off some of the menial tasks off their list. This misses the point of delegation.

Look at delegation as an opportunity to develop the capabilities and responsibilities of your team members. When you do it with intent, it will strengthen their abilities.

But what if they cannot do it as well as you do?

After you have delegated, learn to keep a safe distance and give some autonomy over the assignments. You can give them the task to go from point A to point B; it is unnecessary to tell them which leg should go first if it is not important.

It’s okay if they don’t get to point B using the same method you would use. When you delegate, you need to accept that your team member can and will complete the task differently than your normal route. Give away control. Accept that your way may not be the only way. Sometimes, you may even learn a new way that may be better.

Relinquishing control does not mean letting go completely. You will still need to have agreed milestone checkpoints. And if and when they ask for help, be present to help them. It’s still your responsibility.

(Read more about empowerment)

(*nrp stands for National Recovery Plan.)
(Feature Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay.)


About the Author: Gina Phan is a consultant and trainer with Zinfinity Consulting. She currently conducts courses in workplace performance skills. Click here to contact her, follow her on Facebook or connect with her on Linkedin.

Read her other posts.


#leadership #servantleadership #empower #empowermenttips #management #delegate
#trainergina #ginaphan #gp

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