My role as a regional support manager allows me to see first-hand how practices work. With all the demands placed on practice managers and owners, being able (and prepared) to delegate some of their tasks has become essential to being able to survive.
However, some people are resistant to delegating, either because they are unable to relinquish control or because they don’t want to be viewed as a shirker. They may fear being labelled as lazy. However, I’m not proposing that practice leaders embark on wholesale offloading of their tasks leaving them with nothing to do! I am suggesting they delegate some things to free themselves to be able to carry out their own role without fear of burning out. As the business consultant Robert Half said, “Delegating work works, provided the one delegating works, too.”
If you do decide to take my advice and delegate some of your tasks, it’s important to communicate clearly what you expect of the team members who will be picking up the slack. Here are five suggestions as to how to ensure your delegation goes smoothly.
1. Make a list of tasks and skills
Spend some time reviewing your responsibilities and draw up an outline of the areas where you would feel comfortable delegating some of the tasks. This list could be on paper or digital but should include the sorts of tasks that fall under each broad area. For example, administration, compliance, infection prevention and control and so on. Next, consider which members of the team have the skills and capabilities to take on these jobs and add them to the list. By doing this you give yourself a clear view of which job to delegate to whom. If you find more than one team member suitable to take on a particular role, you may even want to create a rota to share the load more widely. You could also display a copy of this list in the practice break room so that everyone has full visibility of the changes in responsibilities.
2. Communicate clearly
Clear communication is crucial to effective delegation. If a team member is expected to pick up a new task, it’s only fair to give them the best chance of making a success of it. Do this by being specific and concise when handing over responsibility for a task to a colleague. Vague and woolly instructions will hamper their chances of carrying out the job to the correct standard which can lead to frustration on both sides.
Taking a few minutes to explain why you have chosen them to take over the work from you can also help make things clearer. Asking “do you understand what you need to do, or would you like me to go over anything again?” gives them the opportunity to request clarification and head off any possible misunderstandings.
3. Use team meetings to reinforce the practice’s vision
Take the time during your regular team meetings to ensure everyone still understands your vision and purpose. This will help when you do choose to delegate jobs as they will appreciate why and how things should be done.
You can also take the opportunity during these meetings to ask team members to give a brief update on any tasks they have been asked to pick up. This is a great way of ensuring everyone is aware of any changes and allows all staff to be clear on what their colleagues are doing. It also makes it easier for someone to stand in for them if they’re on holiday or off ill.
4. Set a good example
Be a role model for the team. Let the team in on how important all aspects of the business are so that they appreciate how the tasks they’ve taken on contribute to the smooth running of the practice. Set the standard you expect from those who have picked up your work and make sure they carry out their new roles with the same emphasis on quality and excellence that you would yourself.
5. Continue to develop your team
By encouraging your team to develop through courses and further education, you will increase their confidence and competence in different areas. Helping them to develop new skills will offer greater opportunities to encourage them to take on extra responsibilities. As well as lightening the load for you, it also presents a form of progression and development for team members within the practice. By giving them the chance to develop new skills and make good use of them opens pathways that may not have been available to them before, increasing their job satisfaction. Being able to provide a way of giving people greater responsibilities through additional training and career progression helps them to feel valued. This also increases motivation and can result in a happier and more loyal team of employees. Which, at a time where recruitment is a struggle, can be a huge bonus.