Delegation isn’t just about handing off an unwanted task to a colleague or assistant. When you, as a manager, can delegate well, it empowers your team members to grow professionally and personally while making the best use of your company’s resources. Down the line, delegating effectively will cultivate your subordinates’ gifts so that when you get a promotion, they’ll be ready to take over your job.

Here are two steps to get started:

1.) Choose the right person. Match the strengths of each of your employees with the tasks that need doing. Ask yourself:

• “Who has the capacity to do this job well?”
• “For which of my team members would this job be a step forward in his/her career?”
• “What skills are required for this job? Which of my team members has those skills?”

2.) Plan and prepare. Schedule time with your employees to plan how the transfer of power will proceed. Together you’ll have to carefully go over the details of the plans, so at first delegating will cost you more time than it’ll save. However, investing a few hours now will pay off in the future. Questions to consider:

• “What are my expectations for this job? How will it be measured?”
• “Is there a step-by step process that needs to be followed?”
• “What is the scope of this responsibility? How much authority will this person have to complete this project?”
• “What resources will be available to use for this project?”
• “What guidelines and rules must be followed?”
• “How do I create a follow-up system to make sure the job gets done right?”
• “What’s the time frame for this to be completed?”
• “What are the consequences if this person isn’t successful in this job?”