“No man is an island” said John Donne. As people, we depend on one another and the same can be said in general practice, where we rely on the team effort to ensure the needs of our patients are met. With the pressures faced by general practices today, the need for managers to delegate effectively is essential.

In delegating, you’re empowering individuals, building trust and developing a culture of continual learning within your practice. But the one thing you can’t delegate is responsibility; as a manager, responsibility rests with you. The approach used by George S. Patton (United States Army General) would raise some eyebrows today: “Don’t tell people how to do things, tell them what to do and let them surprise you with their results”. This could be deemed a risky approach to delegation – but if you’ve developed your team already and need to delegate some of the work then it’s a feasible approach, isn’t it? Maybe on the battlefield, yes, but not in general practice. And there are some things you just can’t take a risk with, so it’s more likely you’ll need to take a more structured approach to delegation.

The overall aim of delegation is to achieve more in less time. In effect, you’re dividing some of your tasks among your team to ensure they’re completed in a timely manner. But be cautious; your team members already have their own tasks to do, so make certain they have the capacity to accept the delegated task(s), otherwise they may fail to achieve what you’re asking. Remember – you can’t delegate responsibility.

Knowing and respecting your team is key: “Delegation is an issue of respect and how much we respect those that are under us on our team” (Dr Hans Finzel). You have to be able to delegate appropriately and trust the person you’re delegating to, to get the job done. Hence the need for a structured approach.

Step 1 – Clarification. Clarity is the key to effective communication and the same applies to effective delegation! Be clear about what it is you’re delegating, what needs to be achieved and in what time frame. Take time to discuss the task(s) and ensure the individual understands what they need to do, how you’d like them to do it and when you want it completed. This is best described by Steven Sinofsky: “When you delegate work to the member of the team, your job is to clearly frame success and describe the objectives”.

Step 2 – Assign the right individual. You know your team, you know their strengths. So match the task(s) to the individual(s). This is an opportunity to play to the strengths of your team. If you have an individual who’s a bit of an IT guru and another who’s completely the opposite, then when you want an individual to produce an Excel spreadsheet with built-in functions then you know who you need to delegate to. That said, if you have some time and know that the technophobe does in fact want to learn more and would benefit from doing so, then why not give them the task of designing the spreadsheet for you? But only if you have time!

Step 3 – Support. This step can prove costly if you’re not careful. Why? Because you need to know how to provide support if needed but not begin to micromanage the individual you’ve delegated the task to. You’ve delegated the authority to complete the task to them, so it’s important that you let them complete the task in a manner they see fit. Your role is to listen to any concerns they bring to you and give sound advice. Asking “How’s the Excel project going?” is fine. Asking how it’s going and then stating that they should have done x, y and z, before jumping in and retaking ownership of the task could prove costly as the individual may be reluctant to accept tasks in the future. Ronald Reagan best sums this step up: “Surround yourself with the best people you can find, delegate authority, and don’t interfere as long as the policy you’ve decided upon is being carried out”.

Step 4 – Acknowledge your staff. Once an individual has completed the delegated task(s), thank them for doing so, no matter what the size of the delegated task(s). This will enhance the working relationship and can help to increase motivation in the individual as they will feel empowered and will be willing to do more in the future.

Step 5 – Reflection. Take time to reflect on the task(s) you’ve delegated. Think about what went well and what you could potentially have done better. This will enhance self-awareness, enable you to review the whole experience and support you in further developing your delegation style.

Delegation is a skill, one that can take some time to master. You need to evaluate the risks of delegating, consider the outcomes if you don’t delegate, and what the risks are if you opt to delegate. Once mastered, you’ll notice how efficient delegating can be, whilst recognising how it can aid practice productivity and the development of your team. “Delegating doesn’t mean passing off work you don’t enjoy, but letting your employees stretch their skills and judgement” (Harvey Mackay). Can you afford not to delegate?