When you know which aspects of a project you want to delegate, you must determine to whom you will delegate. Which person will be good for which assignment? Here are some important questions to ask before initiating a delegating effort:
Where does the assignment best fit functionally within your group?
Who has capacity in terms of time and workload?
Who has the interest?
Who has the skill and experience level best for the job?
Whose capabilities do you need to expand to fill coverage gaps in the group's day-to-day operations?
Who is in need of new or different challenges?
To whom do you want to give an opportunity for growth?
Notice that one of the factors not listed is "Who has the best track record?" Sometimes managers have a tendency to delegate mostly to their reliable performers. As a result, they don't distribute the workload evenly among all the staff in the group. This practice has an effect of punishing the good employees. It may create resentment among the star employees who wonder why they have to carry the workload for others in the group, as well as among other employees who feel passed over for the most challenging and growth-oriented work. Push yourself as a manager to develop and challenge everyone in your group.
