Delegation: The Power of Letting Go

Many people struggle with the important skill of delegation, which is why I’ve decided to dedicate this message to it.

Managers and Supervisors don’t delegate for different reasons and if you are one of them, let’s identify your “why” first:

1. Nobody is as smart as you are and there is only one “right way,” which is your way.
2. You have a difficult time sharing your knowledge and like it when you “feel needed”.
3. You know your stuff but transferring your knowledge easily and understandably isn’t your thing (ineffective teacher).
4. It takes time to train people and you don’t have the time.
5. You lack faith in people’s abilities and are afraid that they make too many mistakes.
6. Fear of failure.
7. The task is “your baby” (maybe you developed the process) and it is difficult for you to let go and pass it along.
8. You don’t want to ask for help.
9. This may be unconscious but you might value work (being busy) more than developing your team members.
10. You are a routine junkie and delegation would take part of your routine away.
11. You are a firefighter and not a planner.
12. Lack of recognition that the initial investment of time will lead to more employee engagement and productivity in the future.

I WANT YOU TO SUCCEED IN WHATEVER YOU DO AND FOR THAT REASON, YOU MUST KNOW ONE THING: YOU CANNOT DO IT ALONE!

Delegation is important so you don’t have to waste hours on tasks that someone else can do as well. It helps to develop skills and employee engagement. Regardless of your skills or experience, trying to do everything by yourself will burn you out in no time.

If you have identified your “why”, let’s determine how you can get started.

1. MINDSET

Delegation is a mindset about trust and seeing more in people than they possibly can see in themselves. It is not about you, it is about developing your team members to become the best they can be. It is important to allow people to deliver results in their own way.

Resist the urge to tell someone your solution is the best one. People have to learn how to think and how to figure things out. I encourage you to teach and train your team members but allow them to follow through on their own terms. People are wired differently. The more you tell them how to do it without having them think it through for themselves, the more you will create co-dependency and fear.

2. DELEGATE AUTHORITY, NOT TASKS

Figure out how people can help you and consider the big picture. People are in their job for a reason and they must learn to take personal responsibility for their results. Now it’s up to you to allow them to do this job in the best possible way. If you want responsible team members, you have to recognize that all of them can respond responsibly (= responsibility).

A long time ago a supervisor told me that he bought a T-shirt with the saying, “I want to go the extra mile but my boss keeps bringing me back.”

3. DECIDE WHO IS THE RIGHT PERSON

If you delegate, delegate towards people’s strengths and not towards their weaknesses.

Examples:

Some people….

• are natural presenters and communicators, others struggle and it isn’t good to put them on the spot
• value preparation, others can wing it
• enjoy diving into the details, others are better at seeing the big picture
• are fast decision-makers, others are afraid of taking a risk and it takes them much longer to make a decision
• have the ability to teach others, others run low on patience
• thrive on change, others are afraid of change
• value completing a task, others enjoy multi-tasking

You get my point, right?

Look for progress and not for perfection. It’s helpful to understand that someone else may do it differently than you would have done it and that’s o.k. as long as this person delivers results.

There is too much time and effort wasted in turning people into someone they are not. Look for the best in people and you will find it.

I hope this helps and that you will start planning for delegation.

It is a skill that can be learned and it will make your life a lot easier. Ready, set, go!

FOOD FOR THOUGHT:

How determined are you to become a better delegator?

I encourage you this article:

Changing Your Mindset on Delegation Can Change Your Life

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