One of the hardest things for both new and experienced leaders to do is delegate. I have experienced this myself and seen it happen time and time again with those I lead and coach. It is difficult from both a tactical and theoretical perspective.
The first hurdle to get over is our emotional reluctance to delegating. There are all kinds of excuses we use not to delegate. Some of the common ones I hear are;
- I can do it faster myself
- The other person won’t do it as well as I can do it
- I don’t want to burden the other person
- It is not the other person’s job to do this for me
Any of those sound familiar? Generally, what is going on when leaders won’t delegate is a lack of trust, fear, or improper framing of the situation. This doesn’t just apply to leaders. This also applies to parents, partners, friends, really anyone. Think about your personal life for a minute. Is there something you are doing that someone else could easily do for you to reduce your burden just a bit?
Who here doesn’t like to be in control? This is where fear comes in. We are afraid that if we turn “it” over to someone else they either won’t do it well, or maybe we will be needed a bit less. However, what we are really doing here is limiting our growth. We can’t increase our capacity and learn something new without giving something up. What are you holding on to that is holding you back?
Who is worried about burdening someone else? When we give someone else the opportunity to take on a task we generally complete, we are giving that person the opportunity to learn something new. Also, in many cases, if done properly, we are giving that person autonomy over the task, further empowering them and their growth. When you don’t delegate, not only are you holding yourself back, but also withholding potential for others to prove their work.
When delegating, we often incorrectly assume what will motivate others to take on something new. This month’s book recommendation is Daniel Pink’s Drive. It does a great job explaining the three primary components that motivate people in their work: autonomy, mastery, and purpose and how we can use this information to better delegate work.
There are also key tactical perspectives to delegating we need to remember. You need to be specific with expectations. Depending on what kind of work you are delegating, and to whom you are delegating, the type of oversight you will need to provide will differ.
Never assume everyone thinks or works like you. Just because something is obvious to you doesn’t mean it will be to someone learning this task or skill. Make sure you’re giving enough detail. Want to learn more about how to handle the tactical aspect of delegating? Check out this episode of the Coaching for Leaders podcast with guest Hassan Osman.
One Small Step
This month I want you to delegate one task on your plate. Ideally, it will be something that scares you a little bit to let go of. This type of delegation usually leads to growth for both you and the person you are delegating to. Just remember, there may be bumps in the road as you do this. Bumps don’t imply it isn’t working, that is what growth feels like. Learn something from the process.