𝐃𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐠𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐚𝐬𝐤𝐬 𝐢𝐬𝐧’𝐭 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤; 𝐢𝐭’𝐬 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐭.

When I first stepped into a leadership role, I found task delegation surprisingly challenging. It wasn’t just about figuring out who should do what, but also about ensuring that the work they put their time and effort into actually mattered.

I realized something important: you can’t just delegate a task, let someone complete it, and then leave it sitting in a backlog. That feels unfinished; not just for the project, but for the person who worked on it. Team members need to see their work go live, reach users, and make an impact. That’s when they feel a sense of ownership and pride.

Here are three ways I’ve learned to delegate more effectively:

𝟏. 𝐆𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐱𝐭, 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 Instead of saying “𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐟𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞,” I explain why it matters and how it fits into the bigger picture, who it helps, and what success looks like. When people understand the why, they bring more care and creativity to the how.

𝟐. 𝐃𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐠𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐨𝐰𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩, 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐚𝐬𝐤𝐬 I don’t just hand off an isolated piece of work, but I give them end-to-end ownership, from development to delivery. When someone knows they’ll see their work shipped to real users, it builds both accountability and motivation.

𝟑. 𝐂𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐩 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 After delivery, I ensure the team is aware of the impact, whether it’s through user feedback, improved performance metrics, or a business win. A simple acknowledgment, such as “𝘛𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘶𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘧𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘣𝘶𝘪𝘭𝘵,” makes their contribution feel meaningful.

Delegation isn’t about offloading work; it’s about empowering others to grow while ensuring they see the value of what they’ve created.