Keeping a record of all the skills your employees possess can make matching job tasks to those who are capable of completing them much easier. Before assigning tasks to those in your group, ask specific questions and record the answers. Meet with individuals to get a better idea of their current workload, tasks they are interested in completing, and ask about skills they have that can be used on the project.

Once you have learned more about what each team member brings to the project, assign tasks and provide any additional information team members need. If some tasks are larger than others, assign two or more people to them. Some team members may be assigned to work on two or three tasks for the project.

When assigning tasks, assign another team member to act as a consultant in case additional help is needed. This way, team members can work together and rely on each other. This will also ensure that each phase of a project is completed.

TAKING CHANCES

Even though you may know the members of your group well and have an understanding of their skills level, assigning new tasks to those who may not have as much experience in certain areas can benefit the group in the long run. Employees should have the opportunity to learn new skills as this is what will keep them excited about their careers. By taking chances, you are also showing employees that you have faith in their work and that they are competent to learn new skills.

Assigning a group member as a mentor to help another team member learn a new skill is a way to ensure the task is completed correctly. While you can assign mentors other tasks, they should be ready to answer questions and assist when necessary.

As a leader you will need to adapt your delegation style according to the needs of the team member. Someone who skilled and confident in a task needs little guidance from their leader, whereas someone who is challenged by a task requires more monitoring, feedback and coaching

BREAKING UP TASKS

Sometimes there will be project tasks that are too large to be handled by one person. Breaking them up and giving them to two or more people is a great way to encourage team members to work together. Keep in mind that you may need to assign time limits to these tasks so others in the group can complete their part. Monitor how well each task is progressing and assist when necessary.

WHEN TO INTERVENE

If you notice that a task is not being completed on time or in a manner that meets project standards, you may need to provide the appropriate feedback to better channel performance, add others to the task, or even reassign the task. When this happens, it is important to act professionally and find ways to correct the situation quickly.

As a project leader, it is up to you to determine the best course of action when it comes to completing the project. Many times, adding additional help is all that is needed to complete the task. If problems persist, you may need to take the team member off the project completely and reassign them to another project.

Timothy Millett, head trainer at i perform, has extensive expertise in performance training, sales training and customer service training. Tim has helped participants from organisations such as SWIFT and UBS achieve peak levels of personal performance. For more information please visit Sales Training.