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Others can be helped to accept delegation in 2 ways. First, cultivate their "ownership" of your organization, project, idea or goal by involving them in decisions, making them part of a team, and communicating a mission and purpose. Second, encourage people to fail in small ways as they build the skill to win in big ways. Six steps to delegation are listed.

YOU CAN HELP OTHERS accept delegation in two ways. First, cultivate their "ownership" of your organization, project, idea, or goal by involving them in decisions, making them part of a team, and communicating a mission and purpose.

Second, encourage people to fail in small ways as they build the skill to win in big ways. Take the need for perfection out of the equation of delegation. Replace win/lose vocabulary with terms like exploration," "observation," "testing possibilities," and "evaluating options."

All delegation involves some element of risk taking and failure. If you will lead others by your own example, if you can tolerate failure as a part of advancement, so will they. Let them know that failure is a valuable stepping stone to successful delegating. Applaud when they fail constructively congratulate them honestly and often as they accept delegation,

Here are six steps to delegation:

1. Clearly define the task. When you assign work, don't tell people how to do the job. Instead, describe the results you want. Then let them complete the task on their own. The better you describe the benefits of accomplishing the task, the more they will want to see it through.

2. Give guidelines to begin or follow. Assuming you match the right task with the right person, you can increase your delegating success by giving guidelines on how to begin. Some people have the skills to accept the task and begin on their own, but are open to suggestions. Others are unsure of how to begin. They are afraid of losing face and won't tell you they don't know how to begin. When you give guidelines, you help everyone perform at a higher level.

3. Give authority to accomplish the task. There is nothing worse than being given a job to do but not the authority to get it done. If you don't trust someone, give the job to someone else or assign it in stages so it isn't overwhelming.

4. Monitor the tasks, but don't hover. It is frustrating and discouraging to be given a task and then have someone peering over your shoulder every step of the way. Give people room to operate and the freedom to be creative and use their skills, talents and abilities.

5. Give feedback along the way. Ask how things are going, then give people the chance to express themselves. When they feel their opinions count, it is a lot easier to make "course adjustments."

6. Reward and recognize effort as well as results. Some folks need encouragement many times along the way to accomplishing the task. Others are self-starters and self-motivators. When you recognize effort as well as results, you keep people motivated with judicious praise.

Through skillful delegation, you expand your effectiveness and increase your base of loyal followers. They'll be right out there on the limb with you, ready to take on whatever you delegate and to live with whatever comes.