Some leaders put weight on themselves and protect others from weight. They don’t delegate. Failure to delegate is misguided compassion or short-sighted arrogance. Maybe both.
Don’t insult people’s capacity with the ridiculous notion that work should be easy. Hard work is meaningful. Ease is unremarkable.
When you delegate:
- Choose people with aspiration. Give opportunities to demonstrate ability.
- Avoid people who cover up failure. Are they learning from failure?
- Look for people with their hand up.
- Select people who follow through with little oversight.
A new 5-step approach to delegating:
#1. Make a long list of everything you do, the longer the better. Include everything.
#2. Cross off rare activities. If you do it once a month it doesn’t count.
#3. Choose the five essential aspects of your job from the list. You always own these five things.
#4. Examine your long list again. Cross off items that automatically get done when you do your 5 essential jobs.
#5. The remaining items on your list are opportunities to delegate.
Teach this five-step method to your managers.
10 Tips:
- Put weight on others when you work late, and others go home on time.
- Skillful delegating is giving people opportunities to grow and feel more fulfilled by taking on new responsibilities.
- Assign a mission, not a task. For example, don’t assign a one-time task like polish the hall floor. Say, “Your mission is to keep this floor shiny. Everything you need is in that closet.”
- Explain how their new mission serves their desire to advance.
- Give authority to people who are 70% competent unless failure is catastrophic.
- When failure is catastrophic delegate to people with a proven track record.
- Stay available to help.
- Don’t hover.
- Lighten up as long as there’s progress. Allow time for learning and improvement.
- It’s not theirs until it’s not yours.
What are your tips for effective delegation?
When does delegating go wrong?
Author’s note: A person I coach taught me the five-step method I listed above.
Still curious:
7 Things Successful Leaders Never Delegate