Delegating is one of the toughest skills for any new leader to develop. You’d think it would be easy: decide what tasks need to be accomplished, figure out who to assign them, and give the order. Voila!
Unfortunately, it’s not as easy as that, which is why this critical leadership skill is under-developed in so many leaders. The result is that many don’t give the art of delegation serious consideration until they’re feeling overwhelmed with the demands of their role. In the meantime, their team and their organization are paying a heavy price.
If you’re struggling with delegation, don’t wait until it becomes a matter of survival. Start making changes today. Your first step? Read on to see why it’s important to delegate, to discover the barriers to delegating, and to get six tips on how to delegate.
Why should leaders delegate?
As a manager, you have to think strategically. You need to look at the larger picture, communicate with other leaders, and analyze operations for effectiveness and quality. If you are too busy performing operational tasks, you won’t be able to do this.
You also need to ensure the professional development of those reporting to you. Professional development rates consistently as one of the top five engagement drivers for employees, so don’t underestimate the importance of this responsibility. Attracting and retaining great people is essential, and one way to do that is to give them responsibility. Delegating (done right) is your secret weapon in developing and retaining employees.
What are the barriers to delegating?
In my opinion, there are two major barriers to delegating:
- Our Own Mindset
Have you ever found yourself thinking, “No one will get this done to my standards”? Or maybe, “It’s just easier to do it myself”? These thoughts will derail you, my friend, so please don’t go there. Of course, no one will accomplish the task in the same way you would… UNLESS you give that person clear guidance on how to do the task. And giving clear guidance is a learned skill that eventually can become your super-power. The key is learning how to be clear. There’s one thing that every single manager could probably agree on, and that is the art of delegation calls for patience and mental energy, especially in the early stages. Do understand that it’s worth the effort. If you don’t delegate, you’re not only going to be working much longer hours, you’ll find yourself underperforming. There are only so many balls you can keep up in the air at the same time. To delegate, you need to learn to trust your colleagues. If you never trust them, that fear of dropping the ball will become a reality.
“If you want to work 160 hours a week, don’t delegate. But you are going to crash and burn.”
– John Baldoni, author and consultant
2. The Need for Perfection
Before you became a manager, you were used to being assessed on your individual efforts, even if you were part of a team. Now that you’re a manager, your success depends on how well you steer the efforts of others. This mental shift doesn’t happen overnight. I find most new leaders remain in the ‘individual contributor’ mindset for quite a while.
As a leader, you’re evaluated (or judged) on the performance of your direct reports. So, you demand perfection of yourself and then you translate that demand to you team as well, right? Not so fast. Now you have many new variables to consider—each member of your team. And each person has different characteristics, interests, and skills that affect your outcomes.
If you start demanding perfection of everyone in your team without considering the situation of individuals, you’re soon going to lose their goodwill. Worse, you may even create an atmosphere of fear. The strive for perfectionism is unrealistic and counterproductive. It’s also exhausting, and no one can do a good job if they’re exhausted.
Rather than focusing on perfection, focus on improvement. Don’t see mistakes as signs of failure in your leadership but as opportunities to develop your team. And the only way to do this is to trust your employees and to let go of perfection.
Voltaire once said, “Perfect is the enemy of the good.” This is a good reminder that our strive for perfection can become a serious roadblock for progress.
“If you want to do a few small things right, do them yourself. If you want to do great things and make a big impact, learn to delegate.”
– John C. Maxwell, American author
How do you learn to delegate?
Learning to delegate is like learning any new skill. The secret is developing new habits for yourself. Here are six tips:
- Adopt a delegation mindset: Get into the habit of asking yourself questions like: “Can someone else do this task?” and “Who can I train to do this task?” This won’t be easy, so it’s a question of practice, practice, practice. If you find this change difficult, imagine how much more you could do if you didn’t have all those non-managerial tasks on your plate.
- Invite your team’s input into solving various problems: Ask, “How would you solve this?” or “What would be your solution?”. You’ll quickly spot the people who can take on certain tasks. You’ll also notice those who never offer an opinion. They could be ripe for some personal or professional development.
- Train yourself to accept imperfection: Imagining a worst–case scenario every time you need to delegate could throw you over the edge. Ask yourself this instead: “How likely is it that the worst will happen?”. And remind yourself that leaders don’t have the luxury of being a perfectionist. Your job is to concentrate on the big picture, not the tiny details. However, you should always provide detailed guidance and set clear expectations whenever you delegate.
- Monitor progress: This is a crucial step that leaders often overlook. It’s too easy to delegate a task and then forget it. Make sure you follow up on progress regularly. You need to make sure your team is staying on track and meeting your expectations. You may have delegated the task; you have not delegated the responsibility.
- Provide frequent feedback: Leaders who wait until the job is complete to give feedback risk personal disappointment and a frustrated team. Would you want to be told that something should have been done another way only after you’d finished the job? Course corrections are vital in the complex world of communication.
- Invest in yourself: Find a trusted mentor who can provide you with objective feedback. It’s hard to assess your own performance, plus it helps to bounce ideas off an experienced manager.
You can do this. All it takes is focus and a change of habit. And if you found this article useful, please share with others.