Ask any manager and they’ll likely tell you that a successful business is built on many factors, including brand vision, internal culture, and a dedicated team. A Deloitte report found that 84 percent of employees thought that having engaged and motivated employees was the top factor that substantially contributes to the company’s success.[1]

One way to achieve that: empower them, while maintaining order and process.

Employees will be only as empowered as they are made to feel. And when they don’t feel empowered, they may not take initiative or perform at the top of their game. The trick is to delegate without abdicating.

Give the Green Light

“Delegate to the lowest possible level of the organization with the authority to carry out the decision,” says Linda Henman, Ph.D. and owner of the Henman Performance Group, which helps Fortune 500 companies and small business achieve profitable growth. Why? Those at the lower rungs are often closest to the work, and best suited to handle the related decision-making.

Connect Responsibility with Authority

Delegating is no good without a corresponding level of authority to make decisions. It’s also no good if the team isn’t on board. Make sure you communicate both the goals and boundaries to the person you are giving more responsibility to, as well as informing the folks that report to or work with that individual of their new role.

Learn How to Handle Mistakes

There may come a time when the person you’ve delegated decision-making responsibility to made the wrong decision. While the old adage that everyone makes mistakes holds true, there are ways to avoid them. This includes making sure both manager and employee are on the same page as to what a successful outcome looks like, and staying involved to monitor progress. Managers can further empower employees by avoiding stepping in at each point in the decision, so that staff can begin to come to the right decisions by themselves.

Engender Trust

To effectively get a delegated task completed, you need to trust that your employee is up to it, and your employee needs to be able to trust that you have armed them with all the information necessary to carry out their responsibility. What’s more, they need to feel that you have their back during the assignment. To make this happen, communicate with regular check-ins and face-to-face meetings, as well as making sure your employee or team has access to the information they need to make informed decisions.

Consider Resources Required For the Task

If you ask a team member to mock up a website redesign, but don’t provide them with the software they need, you’ll end up with a half-baked result. When delegating a project to an employee, sit down with them to make sure they have the people, equipment, and time to get the job done, and modify if necessary.

This article was brought to you by Discover Network. For more insights into consumer trends and the world of payments, visit Discover Network Perspectives.