I was coaching an Executive Director yesterday and the topic of delegating came up.
She was trying to do way too many tasks herself and nothing was really being done well.
She was reluctant to give jobs to her staff for fear that they wouldn't be done to her satisfaction.
I suggested to her that she have a regular meeting with her staff to get an update on the progress on important tasks.
That way, she would know that things weren't being dropped and the staff would know she was watching.
Regular meetings give you as a supervisor a great time to check in, answer questions, and offer support to your staff like asking them "What do you need from me to be able to finish this project?" I remember being really reluctant to delegate certain tasks to my staff when I headed up a multi-person Development shop.
But, I knew in my gut it was the right thing to do.
What I found out about delegating was that sometimes others did things better than me.
And as the team leader, I always had the authority to make suggestions on ways to improve their work (I was very careful to be supportive in offering constructive criticism).
Delegation also works with volunteers, provided that you provide them the structure and resources they need to be successful.
Just keep in mind that you must be more of a leader than a supervisor.
Remember that delegating work frees up your time and energy.
Don't spend your days doing things that anyone in your office could do (and probably should be doing).
Do those things that only you can do.