When delegation goes WRONG ?? - Here’s what to do

Congrats! !I see you delegating across your team… ??

It feels good to finally be able to focus on those big, strategic initiatives that really move the needle, doesn’t it?

But what happens when what your colleague comes back with is just… well… BAD? ???

You set your team up for success, you had high hopes for this first check-in with them… but now you feel deflated!

It just goes to show you should have done it yourself…

Nobody else can be trusted to do the job as well as you…

You might as well save the time and effort and take the responsibility back…

Right?!?????♀?

WRONG!

Your immediate default reaction to take control, tell them what to do, or even just do it for them is totally understandable.?

But first, STOP and remember what impact you want - a more empowered team who take ownership of key initiatives in a way that frees you up for executive-level strategic priorities.

Let’s respond in a way that moves you forward towards short and long-term IMPACT.?

Check-ins are there for you to course-correct the outcome, reinforce your expectations, and empower your team to step-up to the responsibility they’ve taken on.

And by taking on more of a coaching and questioning role in the check-ins, you empower your team by challenging them to find answers themselves. ?

You shift away from telling them what to do and towards them taking responsibility for resolving the issue and finding the path to the desired results.

Let’s look at best practice for your check-ins…

?? Start by sharing what went well, not just on the outcome, but also their approach, communication, and other expectations you set. This reinforces habits you want them to adopt going forward:

“Hey Sami, Thanks for this.

The report looks just like the mock-up you shared with me.?

Sharing that mock-up beforehand was helpful for me and it looks like it made your job easier.?

I also noticed that you communicated with me more effectively this time - getting my insights along the way. Let’s keep that level of collaboration going forward.”

?? Then provide feedback and support for them to take responsibility for improving the next iteration, outcome, and impact:

“However, the report still isn’t quite there. As mentioned, the goal was to have it CEO-ready for my meeting with her on Tuesday. The detail is there, but the takeaway summaries we discussed are missing. How do you think we could keep the essence of what you created but also emphasise the main insights for the CEO?

In addition, although you pulled me in, I would have expected you to raise any difficulty with the summary section earlier in the week, given the tight deadline. How do you think you could handle that in the future?”

?? Close the check-in by empowering them to retake ownership and to commit to clear next step actions. This way you’ll know what they are committed to (rather than assuming it!) and they’ll hold themselves to a higher accountability than if you’d simply told them what to do:

“Tell me - what are you going to do next and by when? When can I expect to get the finished report?”

I hear you ask:?‘Yewande, what about my team members who are doing an awesome job? Do I still need to check in with them?

’Yes! Check-in to make sure you’re still aligned. This is a great opportunity to both support and challenge them! If they’ve hit the deadline early, what more can they do? What ideas do they have? How can you help them to raise their game? ????

That concludes our series on delegation...?

?? Want support specifically with delegating or need help developing your people so that they step up and take ownership? Book a call with me here.

Warmest regards,

Yewande

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