One of the most common issues I hear leaders talking about is delegation. Either they want to do more of it but feel they can’t, or they don’t do it even though they could.
In a world where leaders are under more pressure than ever, living with constant change and being bombarded with information, requests and demands on their time, being able to delegate effectively is not just important, it’s crucial.
So why do leaders find it so tricky?
The most common reasons I hear are:
- I don’t want to give the team any more work, they’re under so much pressure as it is
- No-one in my team can do it
- I’m worried it will go wrong
- They won’t do it the way I would do it
- I haven’t got time
Underneath these reasons may be deeper thoughts, feelings and beliefs such as:
- Fear of criticism
- Enjoying the job so much that it is difficult to let go
- Maintaining a busy agenda to add value
- Wanting to feel indispensable
- Wanting to be liked
- Fear of losing your job or being replaced
- Fear of moving out of your comfort zone
Despite these reasons, it’s very difficult to be effective when you’re trying to do everything yourself. However often we get so busy and overwhelmed that we feel we don’t have time to delegate – and so a vicious cycle ensues.
But as well as benefitting you by releasing your time for other things, it also benefits your team. One of the biggest reasons for people to leave a team or indeed an organisation, is lack of development1. Having opportunities to stretch and grow by taking on new responsibilities is a key part of anyone’s development. By delegating tasks to your team members, or other colleagues, you can help them to improve their skillset and feel motivated.
So how do we overcome some of the barriers to delegating?
- Don’t make assumptions about how much your team have on and their desire for more – they might appreciate the opportunity to learn. Ask them!
- Delegating can feel like a big leap – so choose something relatively small and low risk to get used to having delegating conversations. You’ll find it doesn’t take as much time as you think.
- Consider what you’ll use any time freed up for – a key project you’ve not had enough time to focus on, some longer term thinking, some development for you or your team etc.
- Put in place measures to try to mitigate any serious mistakes (see below) – but also accept that mistakes might be made, and it’s part of the learning process. Consider what the worst thing that could happen – and if it’s too much, re-think whether this is something you’re willing to delegate right now.
- Accept that people will approach things differently. Your job as a leader is to agree the outcome – what is to be achieved and what will good look like? This is more effective done collaboratively with the person you’re delegating to. How they then go about achieving that outcome is up to them – within the boundaries of any regulatory or organisational procedures of course. So having a good conversation up front where all of these areas are discussed should set your mind at rest.
Before you delegate – 4 things to check:
- Competence level – does the person have the correct level of knowledge and skill to do the task to the required standard? If no, what questions can you ask to understand to find out where they are currently at? What additional development could they undertake to help them to get there?
- Confidence level – does the person have the belief in themselves and in their ability to do the task? If no, explore with them what previous experiences they have had which have demonstrated their ability. Give them regular feedback and recognition to build their confidence.
- Motivation level – does the person understand why they have been asked to do this task and are they willing to do it? If no, take time to understand what motivates this person. What is important to them? And how does this task fit in with this? Avoid ‘selling’ it in which can cause distrust. Instead, seek to understand them and consider if this is the right task for them.
- Authority level – does the person know what decisions they can make and when they need to refer to you/ someone else? If no, discuss your expectations with them, including likely scenarios, and answer any questions they may have.
Only once you can answer ‘yes’ to each of these questions, will you be in a position to delegate. And if this sounds laborious, it may only take a few seconds for you to mentally ask and answer these questions! Plus, it will save you a lot of time in the future rather than delegating something that the person is unable or unwilling to do.
How to delegate effectively
Brilliant! You’re now in a position to delegate. The steps below are a process you can follow to ensure that your delegated task gets completed effectively, with minimal stress for you and your delegatee.
- Prepare – spend some time reflecting on what good looks like. This might include: completion time, quality standard, content required, budget available, people to communicate with etc. Be as thorough as you can to avoid misunderstandings later down the line.
- Communicate– discuss the outcome you expect in as much detail as possible but without dictating the method and approach. Remember, this is their task now. You are accountable for the outcome, but they are responsible for getting it done. Remember to ensure they understand why the task is important – how does it fit in with the broader plan or deliverables of the team?
- Support– Discuss and agree how they can contact you if they need help or have questions and what other support they may need. Agree how they will handle their current workload and what changes (if any) may need to be made to allow for this task.
- Review– for your peace of mind as well as to support them, agree how and when you will get together to review progress. For more experienced team members, this may not be until the end of the task. For others, you may want to ensure things are on track at regular intervals. Ask them what they need too. They may feel under pressure if you want to meet too often, or they may feel unsupported if it’s not often enough.
- Feedback– delegation is a key development opportunity. It’s important that you provide balanced feedback throughout and at the end, to ensure the person learns as much as possible whilst doing the task.
When you’re stressed and busy, delegating can feel like one more thing on your to-do list. But if you’re lucky enough to have people to delegate to, it can bring many benefits for you and for them.
1 16 Reasons Why Employees Choose To Leave Their Jobs | Indeed.com
Kate works with leaders in ethical, purpose-led organisations to create happy, energised and productive teams. As an experienced facilitator and coach, she helps leaders to develop the mindset and skillset to create a place where people and the planet thrive.
Change starts with a conversation. To discuss the leadership and management challenges you’re currently facing, contact Kate here for a chat:
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