7 Delegation Mistakes That Can Kill Effective Teamwork

You can't be a good manager if you can't delegate.?

For a period, you may be able to complete all the tasks, but that won’t last.??

Your career growth will stagnate. You will get tired of your tasks. You will become overwhelmed and exhausted, struggling to keep your head above the water.?

Soon you will be playing catch up almost every day.?

Delegation is important for your growth, yet many people struggle with delegation.??

Typically people who struggle to delegate well make at least 1 of the 7 common mistakes that gradually kill teamwork and make the ineffective delegators.??

Mistake #1: Not Able to Differentiate Between Delegating and Training?

These two concepts are often mixed up by managers.?

To be clear, training is aimed at improving the employee’s performance or help them attain a required level of knowledge or skill. Whereas delegation is aimed at reducing the workload of managers so they can focus on big picture tasks.?

If a manager delegates a task to a subordinate, the subordinate is expected to complete the task on their own. The manager shouldn’t get involved unless required.?

Micromanaging the situation will make it look more like training than delegation.?

By micromanaging, you are essentially defeating the purpose of delegating. It can have adverse effects like low morale, self-doubt, trust deficit, and productivity slumps.?

The key here is to trust the employee to perform the task on their own. They may require some guidance in the beginning, but don’t be an overbearing presence.?

Mistake #2: Providing Vague Instructions?

Clear communication is fundamental to effective delegation. If you don’t let the team member know what is expected of them in clear and precise terms, the outcome may fall short of the ideal.?

This is why when you are delegating a task, you should clearly mention the following:?

• The outcome expected in clear and measurable terms?
• The time it will take for the task to be completed?
• The maximum amount of resources that can be allotted?
• The tools to be used?
• The names and ranks of all the parties involved
• When and how reporting should be delivered?

There shouldn’t be any room for misunderstanding or vagueness.?

For instance, if you want to delegate a task like making a report of all the complaints received with respect to a particular feature, the message should appear like this:?

Make a 500 word report on customer complaints with regards to the email notes feature, and send it to me via email by 3:30 pm.?

The deliverables and other conditions (if any) should be explained precisely and clearly. This will help ensure the result is closer to what was expected.?

Mistake #3: Picking the Wrong Person?

If you delegate a task to someone who is not suited or capable of doing it, the results may be far from ideal. Additionally, it may lead to squabbles, dissent, and lack of respect among your subordinates.??

The key here is to gain an in-depth knowledge of your team. Their strengths, skills, weaknesses, and areas of expertise should be known to you. This will help ensure that you pick the right person for the job.?

This kind of delegation will not only make you more efficient and effective, but it will make you a good leader as well. And it will help your team develop into a strong, cohesive unit.?

Mistake #4: Delegating a Task, and Then Not Monitoring It?

Delegating a task doesn’t mean that it isn’t your responsibility anymore. Although you may have explained the task in detail, it doesn’t guarantee the task will be completed as per your expectations.?

You must keep monitoring the progress and ask for regular updates.?

This helps ensure they are on the right track. And you can also step in early if there are any errors or mistakes. Nipping it in the bud avoids wastage of time, energy, and resources.?

That said, you should always try to strike a balance between monitoring and supporting. You need to give people enough freedom to use their abilities to the best effect.?

This is where collaboration tools and timekeeping tools really come in handy. They make it easier to monitor the progress without being nosy or micromanaging the situation.?

Mistake #5: Expecting Perfection?

Perfectionism is a major hindrance to getting things done. If you are driven by perfectionism, you will struggle when it comes to delegating tasks.?

Your obsession with being perfect can lead to constant meddling and micromanaging.?

You will never be satisfied with their work, the result will be - endless meetings and revisions. This will eventually drive your subordinates crazy. If someone can complete a task at 80-90%, then let them complete it.?

Your focus should be on progress rather than perfection. This will help you save time and focus on more important things.?

Mistake #6: Not Sharing the Rewards and Credit?

When you are delegating tasks, you aren't just sharing the responsibility. Your teammates should get a fair share of the rewards and the credit, too.?

In other words, don’t hoard the good words or the recognition. Instead, spread the love.?

If your top management is happy with the work, let your subordinates know about it. Not only does it keep the motivation levels up, but it will help the subordinates develop and grow.?

Always remember to explicitly mention the names of employees who worked along with you on a task or project. They will be more eager to take up delegated tasks next time around.?

Mistake #7: Not Knowing What to Delegate?

This happens with a lot of managers regularly. They get bogged down and can’t decide what tasks to delegate.?

Here’s a checklist to help you decide what can be delegated:?

• A low priority task, which is something that doesn’t come under your core focus area?
• Less important tasks that eat away at your time and/or energy
• Laying the groundwork such as collecting resources, prospect research, data entry, etc
• Tasks that you are not good at doing
• A task that your teammates can do better
• Something that you want your team to learn?

Always remember that a high-performing team is infinitely more productive than a high-performing individual!?

Don’t make?these mistakes?and don’t forget to delegate.?

In case you missed it:

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From the Prialto blog archives.

How to Use Delegation to Be a More Impactful Leader

How to Set Effective Goals with Employees and Boost Performance

How to Delegate Busy Work to an Executive Assistant

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