# Ten-step delegation

## How to use

Working in health or social care can be challenging and being a manager adds to that challenge. This is why effective delegation is so important. Managers are not the only ones who can take on the challenging tasks that need to be done to ensure the smooth running of a department or unit, and this is where delegation comes in. Successful delegation promotes distributed leadership and a feeling of greater responsibility within a team.

There is an art to delegation. It requires a focus on the four building blocks of the fully rounded caring manager, as well as a good level of emotional intelligence. You need to be able to identify the right person to delegate a task to, which means relying on other people, having confidence in them, and showing that you trust them.

When delegation goes wrong, or is poorly executed, the person being delegated to can feel used, overwhelmed or out of their depth, potentially undermining the quality and safety of the care delivered. Using the checklist to be found under the ‘Tool’ tab ensures safeguards are in place to make sure the right person is delegated an appropriate task and supported to complete it successfully.

Tip A caring manager is aware of individual development needs when delegating. Support the people you delegate to by using other tools when appropriate, such as the goal-setting tool or the time management tool.