You're faced with tasks outside your expertise. How can you effectively delegate as a consultant?

One thing I find helpful is tapping into my facilitation skills to frame the problem or task at hand with the requester or subject matter expert. Once I understand the high-level request, it’s essential to pull in the right talent to further refine the work. Most of the time, during the working session, the scope starts to become evident. This discovery effort helps flesh out the desired outcomes, adding clarity and focus for the designated, responsible person to execute the work. You don’t have to master everything. However, you do need to master key consulting skills to frame the statement of work and be willing to dig deep to understand the job, delegate tasks, and monitor outcomes.

It is always recommended that the expected activity, skill requirement and the outcome expected are assessed first before making a decision of delegating a section or complete task. There are multiple factors which should be considered to gain best out of it. As an example if this is a repetitive and not the core consulting activity requiring heavy lifting you may consider outsourcing that and focus on more strategic activities. Sometimes the decision making may be difficult and appropriate tools including AI may be helpful.

In my experience, when faced with tasks outside my immediate expertise, the design thinking approach becomes invaluable. This method allows us to harness collective wisdom by involving experts from relevant fields to contribute their insights. We used to call this the '7th Sense' approach, where the focus is on collaborative problem-solving. As a consultant, our role is to drive the process- guiding the team through the design thinking stages and ensuring that we collectively arrive at a well-rounded, effective solution. By this approach, we can ensure that the best-suited individuals handle each aspect of the problem, while the consultant maintains oversight to integrate their contributions into a cohesive strategy.

Don’t just delegate tasks to subordinates. Remember that you don’t know what you don’t know. Consider the range of expertise that would be applicable and build your own advisory board of experts to help with your blind spots.

Ask your network of collaborators or colleagues who they think could take care of it and how they would deal with it. Establish a dialogue with those who want to help you do a good job, rather than those who want to take one more assignment.

- Define clear goals and objectives for the task. - Provide specific guidelines, including deadlines and quality standards. - Encourage questions to clarify any uncertainties. - Foster open dialogue to ensure understanding. - Emphasize accountability.

It is also important to set expectations with the client. If something unexpected comes up, it reflects on the planning that went into the job and possibly on the appropriateness of the expertise you have at hand. It's quite possible too that the client has done something unexpected, giving rise to these "twists". The client must know that when something arises, it will be treated as "exceptional" until it is clear that it is in scope.

Hard to answer in 750 characters. It depends if you are teaching or giving orders. Beware of a strange attitude I have found where "empowered" folk think they can do stuff they don't know how to do! Trust is fine - and works both ways - but "knowing" your people are trained is better and safer. When training or working with people from other companies, we work as a team with me as a member but I would let them lead. If I knew the people were trained (and documented), they could do the task unsupervised. Routinely, a zero fails team or equivalent will review all problems and if, for example, a PM failed before its next date or a set up did not work, we would identify why and fix it. Steve

Delegating is not just about passing off tasks; it’s about empowering others to shine in their domain. Think of yourself as a magical enabler, waving your wand to ensure that your delegate has everything they need to perform their best. Provide them with all necessary resources—access to data, relevant contacts, and any background information that might help. If there’s any specific training or knowledge they need, make sure it’s available. You’re not just handing over a task; you’re setting the stage for their success. Remember, a well-equipped delegate is like a knight in shining armor, ready to slay the dragons (or in this case, tackle the tasks) that you couldn’t handle.

Monitoring progress is essential, but don’t mistake this for micromanaging. Your goal is to keep a watchful eye to ensure everything stays on track without hovering like a hawk. Set up regular check-ins to review progress and provide feedback. This helps catch any issues early and ensures that the task aligns with your expectations. Use project management tools to track milestones and communicate any updates or changes. Think of it as checking the GPS on a road trip—ensure the route is still correct and adjust if necessary. Monitoring progress keeps you informed and prevents surprises, allowing you to step in and assist if any issues arise.

Progress is when we have this new system in place - and perhaps there are 30 spots where we know we have scotch tape holding the whole thing together. After you pilot it and it sort of works, operationally you need to go back and redo those places where you took shortcuts or you know are shaky or where the most friction and weight of the process will be. Establish work arounds or extra capacity in the system wherever you can. If there is a risk of one area being overwhelmed set up mechanisms to slow down of file it away in a prioritized format.

If you find that the task needs re-evaluation or if new information arises, communicate these changes promptly. Update your delegate on any new requirements or shifts in priorities. Be open to their feedback and adjust the plan accordingly. Think of this as recalibrating your GPS when you hit an unexpected roadblock. Flexibility ensures that the task remains aligned with the overall project goals and allows you to navigate through any unforeseen challenges.

Be Flexible: If the delegated task isn’t progressing as expected, be prepared to make adjustments. This could involve reallocating resources, redefining objectives, or even reassigning the task. Continuous Improvement: Learn from the delegation process to improve future delegation strategies. Use AI analytics to identify patterns and optimize your approach.