Effective delegation is a vital skill for school leaders, as it helps them manage their workload, develop and empower staff, and improve the overall performance of an organization. When I was a new school leader, delegation was definitely one of the hardest actions for me to take, until I mastered the art of strategic delegation. In order for me to delegation strategically so that goals could be achieved, and impact could take place, I deliberately took the following actions.
I focused on knowing the interests, strengths, and areas of weaknesses of my team. This information allowed me to tailor delegation to individuals that were able to successfully  meet the goals and benefit the most from fulfilling the task. These actions produced better outcomes and increased job satisfaction for staff members, as well as for myself. I made sure that the task, action steps, and goal were clearly defined and understood by the targeted staff. The staff was provided with clear instructions. This helped prevent confusion and ensured that the requirements were known. Specific goals and deadlines were also established for the task to monitor tracking and ensure that the goal was met on time.
Successful delegation required that my staff had access to the necessary resources, tools, and supports to complete the task effectively. These resources sometimes included professional development, materials, and/or access to other necessary individuals. I also made sure to communicate effectively throughout the delegation process ensuring open lines of communication and regular check-ins to provide opportunities for personalized feedback, address any issues, offer guidance as needed, or make necessary modifications.
As mentioned earlier, delegation was difficult for me as a new school leader. One reason for this was I did not trust others to do the work. I had to learn to trust and empower my staff so that they could complete the delegated task effectively. I learned through experience that micromanaging undermined their confidence and therefore hindered their effectiveness. After learning to empower and trust my staff, I began giving them the autonomy to make decisions within the scope of the task. It is also important to provide positive reinforcement and acknowledge the efforts and achievements of your staff during the delegation process. As a school leader, I have witnessed recognition and position reinforcement boost morale and motivate staff to take on future responsibilities.
While delegation is important and very necessary, be ready to offer assistance and redirection, if needed. When challenges arose, I was supportive and ready to step in to help resolve issues without taking over the task. This type of support included mentorship, cognitive coaching, constructive feedback, and debriefing the process and decisions that were made. At the conclusion of a delegated task, a practice of mine was to review the outcomes and provide constructive feedback. My staff members and I reflected on what worked well and what could be improved for future delegations.
As I matured in leadership, including empowering others and myself through delegation, I adopted a team-centered approach where my staff felt comfortable collaborating and supporting each other. They were not just encouraged to come to me for support. We truly developed into a professional learning organization filled with various types and levels of expertise. Delegation was not just utilized to complete tasks, but more importantly it was used to empower staff,  foster student growth, and create a highly functioning organization as a whole. As a former school leader, I can attest that using strategic delegation was one of the best decisions that I ever made.
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