Delegation is the act of assigning tasks or responsibilities to someone else to complete on behalf of oneself. It is an essential skill in leadership, particularly in procurement teams where tasks can be numerous and complex. Proper delegation can lead to improved efficiency and productivity while reducing the workload and stress of the manager.

On the other hand, micromanagement is the act of closely controlling or supervising the work of others. While it may seem like a good idea to ensure that tasks are completed correctly, micromanagement can lead to decreased morale, and reduced productivity, and hinder creativity and innovation.

A week or so ago, I posted a short blog about leadership. In it, I encouraged aspiring leaders to become more comfortable with delegating.

In some situations, however, a leader does need to roll up his or her sleeves to ensure that s/he gets the deliverable s/he wants. Most leaders would love it if they gave general (read: cryptic) instructions and got the results that they wanted every time. In reality, there is bound to be a miscommunication from time to time where it takes more time to give instructions on how to fix the deliverable than it would have taken to just be explicitly clear at the outset.

“Effective leadership is putting first things first. Effective management is discipline, carrying it out.” – Stephen Covey, author of “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People”

Here are five tips on how to delegate efficiently:

• Choose the right person for the task based on their skills, experience, and interests.
• Clearly communicate the task’s objectives, expectations, and deadlines to avoid confusion and misunderstandings.
• Provide the necessary resources, support, and guidance to ensure success.
• Trust and empower the person to complete the task independently without micromanaging or hovering.
• Follow up regularly to track progress, provide feedback, and offer assistance if needed.

The key is to be able to identify those situations where step-by-step specific instructions up front are warranted. This requires knowledge of the skills of your team members as well as your track record in delegating to them. By empowering team members through delegation, leaders can improve their team’s performance and achieve better results.

Recommended Reading

• Is Government Procurement Efficiency Bad For The Economy?
• Procurement Documents: The Proper Sequence & Common Headaches
• The Criticality of Procurement Training in 2023
• Purchasing Training Tidbits
• SPSM vs. CPO Suite
• The Procurement Promotion That You Lost (But Didn’t Even Know That You Were Considered For)
• Procurement Interview: Questions
• Improving Your Procurement Team’s Skills Requires This Commonly Forgotten Element
• Millennials Want A Procurement Career Path: Does Your Organization Have One?
• Procurement Career

Recommended Courses:

• Priorities in Supply Chain Leadership
• Supply Management Executive Leadership

NLPA Learning: Looking for authoritative procurement templates, tools, webinars, and more? Stop trying to create resources from scratch and take advantage of having exactly what you need at your fingertips in NLPA Learning.