One of the top skills a new manager must learn is how to delegate effectively.
Often, those new to people management find it difficult to give up tasks they feel they can do perhaps better than their direct reports.
And until they learn to trust their team, they also don’t fully trust that the tasks will be accomplished in a timely fashion. They fall prey to the number one overlooked new manager communication skill.
These two hurdles must be overcome if new people managers want to lead and grow their team.
The Critical Why A key aspect of delegating as a new people manager is to do it with purpose. Know the task, know the person who has the competency and commitment to complete it, and be able to clearly communicate the “why.”
Most managers are fairy adept at explaining the “what” and the “how” of a task. They can typically define what needs to be done (the content) and the way it can be accomplished (the process).
But unless they include the critical “why,” employees may not be motivated to carry it out. Messages that lack the “why” are less persuasive and compelling.
Imagine your boss asking you to manage a new project as top priority compared to all the other projects on your plate. You naturally want to know why. Before you are motivated to set aside your current work and rearrange your schedule, you need to be persuaded that this new direction warrants upending your current focus.
How to Define and Articulate the Why Especially as a new manager, you need to learn to communicate using this often overlooked skill of explaining the reason behind your request.
Here are four field-tested tips on how to zero in on the “why” so you can persuasively articulate it to your team: | 
