How to delegate ... part two

Now you've got a procedure for some task you want to delegate to someone else.

Job done, right?

Well, that's where most of the articles on delegation end.

But not this one.

You see, the reason you can't trust people to do these tasks properly is because you aren't doing the next bit.

You need to follow up.

Again, it will feel like it takes forever. And it will feel like it would be quicker to do it yourself. And it probably would be. But, in a couple of weeks, you'll thank yourself. Because the process of following up is what makes delegation work.

Our procedure looks like this:

Test the XK71

Wipe off any marks and debris

Seal the cover

Screw the XK71 into place

Unscrew the old component

Remove the cover

Use a small knife to loosen the cover

What follow-ups do we need? Well, the most important one is that the XK71 actually works. Actually, even more important, that the client is happy with the XK71 that you've just replaced. Other things to check, that the cover is replaced properly and the marks are cleaned up.

So we add them to the checklist:

Use a small knife to loosen the cover

Remove the cover

Unscrew the old component

Screw the XK71 into place

Seal the cover

Wipe off any marks and debris

Test the XK71

Check that the cover is properly replaced and wiped clean

Check that the customer is happy with the XK71

Wait two weeks and check that the customer is still happy with the XK71

So we've added three new steps into the procedure. And those extra three steps are to be recorded on your job sheet or whatever else you use to hand out tasks.

However, that's not all ... more to come tomorrow.

Take action: For the two procedures you wrote about yesterday, add some follow-ups.