Talent, Championships, and Delegation

What if I told you the mindset of not delegating is harming someone else’s’ growth? Let me rephrase that, not delegating responsibility is holding someone else back from flexing their leadership and decision-making muscles.?

Not delegating responsibility is holding someone else back from flexing their leadership and decision-making muscles.?

When working with my clients on their energy management plan, part of their support network are people they trust to delegate their responsibilities. The most common delegate is a spouse or partner. The conversation gets much denser when it comes to work responsibilities.

We don’t take this lightly either. You are entrusted to protect people, the company….heck, your own reputation. Many times, how you are rated, compensated, and provide for yourself and others depends on your job. Your talent is one of a kind and delegating can feel daunting. However, your role, or talent, is only one piece of the puzzle.

The great Michael Jordan was once quoted to say, “Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence wins championships”.

“Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence wins championships”.

In the short term, you handling your responsibilities is the game. You have that covered. But is winning the game at the expense of the championship? Your mental health? Time to decompress? Your team’s growth? What if your reluctance to delegate made people feel incapable or not trustworthy?

The championship, or long game, is about the wellbeing of you and your team. Your need to work on higher level tasks to grow the organization is essential while valuing the unique talents of your team.

By delegating, you are enabling members of your team to grow by practicing. Even if you think you are shielding them from the stress, you are being a ball hog.

A great leader gives the team ample opportunities to prepare for the heightened pressures and decision making before they appear in the playoffs.

Here are a few tips to get your team championship ready:

1.??????Let them experience real-life situations firsthand

• When you get that task you’d dread your teammate receiving instead of you, carve out the time to let your teammate observe you responding. Talk them through your thought-process and allow time for them to ask clarifying questions. Yes, this takes more time than you currently have, but we are planning to win championships. We must prepare like it.

2.??????Allow your teammate to handle the situation while you witness

• The next time the situation happens, observe how your teammate responds. Fight the urge to jump in and allow them to flex their intelligence. Be there to coach (coach, not play the game) as needed. Afterward, praise them for what they did great and have open conversation about where they can improve.
• Remember, they don’t have to respond exactly as you did. The goal is for them to find their flare to get acceptable results.

The goal is for them to find their flare to get acceptable results.

3.??????Give them wings not fears

• This is the stage where you are equipping your teammate with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform. Assigning progressive responsibilities to your team allows them to build confidence in their abilities and for you to form the necessary trust to delegate. Progressively assigning tasks also identifies strengths you may not have seen before and any gaps that need reinforcing. This also allows for small scale failures (we all make mistakes). There may be formal training or mentoring opportunities necessary to accelerate the confidence process.
• Pro-tip- How you respond when (not if) your teammate fails can be the difference in them embracing increased responsibility or succumbing to fear. Psychological safety is real, and this is your opportunity to demonstrate supportive leadership.

One of the benefits of having a team is being able to delegate responsibilities. When you can trust your team members to do their job, it frees you up to work on higher-level tasks and grow the team’s capabilities. By delegating responsibly, you help your team learn new skills and become more productive. What are some ways that you can delegate more effectively to grow your team?

Subena Colligan, CIH, CSP is a management consultant and executive coach for EHS professionals. Her passion is for people to live their lives fully and experience the benefits of effective, efficient, and sustainable EHS program leadership.

Did you like what you read? Subscribe, like, comment, and share.

Want to dive deeper??Book a 15-minute Mindful Strategy Session?with Subena today!