What do you do if you're struggling to entrust important tasks to others?

Everybody, at all levels at the organization must understand their purpose, how they contribute to the overall objectives. It may be hard sometimes to let know an accountant or the receptionist but once you are able to find the way to let them know how the day-to-day sums up into the strategical vision, everything becomes easier.

IMPORTANT! Discover values and interests first. It's likely that if you're struggling to trust others enough to delegate to them, you don't know them enough. We're quick to entrust a task to someone who is deeply passionate about that task. We have an internal sense that they'll do a good job. But, if we're not sure about where their interests lye, what they're committed to, or their level of dedication, then we'll also be unsure what to trust them with. Trust building exercises are great for this. Also, simply spend some time reviewing their socials so that you can find some commonalities that you can use to spark non-work related conversations. (But don't be a creep.) As you know them more, you'll trust them to get certain things done.

Building trust is a gradual process that requires effort from both sides. To initiate this process, begin by actively listening to your team members. Demonstrate your attentiveness by paraphrasing their thoughts and ensuring mutual understanding.

When collaborating with a new employee or tackling a fresh project, refrain from solely assessing skills. Instead, adopt the mindset that it's your duty to guide someone from start to finish. Embrace the "I do, we do, you do" model to establish a structured approach that places responsibility on you first and that slowly delegates that responsibility off to your employee. This not only supports with delegating, but also in fostering equitable treatment for all employees.

In my experience, skill assessment is a fundamental step in the delegation process that ensures tasks are entrusted to the right team members. It's not just about recognizing who currently has the skills, but also about identifying who can grow from the experience.

When I was training someone in a business information and data integrity role, and once formal training was over, I provided detailed instructions for them in a work instruction, sample reports, desk side tools and sample emails. I monitored and helped with any struggles by setting up an end of day meeting for the first few weeks. They could bring any issues, struggles, training gaps to my attention and receive help, training and mentoring from me for approximately 30 minutes a day. This way it gave them some independence but a safety net. It also ensured the daily business didn’t suffer.

When struggling to entrust important tasks to others, it's crucial to implement a robust progress monitoring system. This involves setting clear goals, establishing checkpoints, and regularly tracking the progress of delegated tasks. As a coach, I encourage clients to leverage tools such as project management software or regular check-in meetings to stay informed about the status of delegated tasks. As a personal experience, I once worked with a coachee who found it challenging to delegate tasks due to a fear of losing control. Together, we developed a progress monitoring framework that included weekly status updates and milestone reviews.

Delegation isn't a one-way street. A feedback loop fostering psychological safety can bridge the trust gap you feel. I recommend framing initial task delegations as 'learning opportunities' for all. Encourage open communication—invite questions, progress updates, and celebrations of wins. You may find and fix any bottlenecks in the delegation process by actively asking team members for their opinions and recommendations for enhancement. Also, set clear expectations and define KPIs to create a framework for accountability and growth. Through this iterative process, you can build trust in their capabilities while allowing you to course-correct discreetly if necessary. Over time, successful task completion becomes a self-reinforcing loop.

Encouraging open communication and soliciting feedback from team members allows clients to assess the effectiveness of their delegation approach and make necessary adjustments. As a coach, I emphasize the importance of providing constructive feedback to both the delegate and the client, highlighting areas of improvement and celebrating successes. Sharing a contextual experience, when I worked with a coachee who struggled to delegate tasks effectively because they were unsure how to provide feedback to their team members. We implemented a feedback loop where the client regularly solicited input from their team on the delegation process and provided constructive feedback on completed tasks.

Para mejorar la delegación, establecé un bucle de retroalimentación que invite a la comunicación abierta sobre el avance de las tareas. Pedí regularmente actualizaciones y mostrá disposición para resolver dudas. Celebrá los logros y usá los contratiempos como oportunidades para aprender y ajustar procesos. Asegurate de brindar feedback constructivo que potencie el crecimiento personal y profesional de tu equipo. Esta práctica no solo mejora el rendimiento, sino que también fortalece la confianza y la relación con tus colaboradores.

his involves empowering team members with the authority, resources, and support they need to successfully complete delegated tasks. As a coach, I encourage clients to delegate not just tasks, but also decision-making authority, allowing team members to take ownership and initiative in their work. In my experience as a practicing coach, my job is to help raise the self awareness of my coachee and by clearly not wearing the mentor hat.

Apart from building trust in others, I find that oftentimes what prevent leaders from delegating is their attachment to that particular task or piece of work. Most people go up the career ladder by being very good at what they do as individual contributors, and it is hard to give up on what has been one's "craft" for so many years to spend time doing other things, even if they are more strategic. Thus I challenge leaders struggling with delegation to reflect, do you love so much doing something that it is hard to let it go?