The Do’s And Don’ts Of Delegation
Once you reach a certain level of responsibility in a company, delegation can be one of the most challenging—yet vital—parts of your job. Too often, managers are reticent to entrust tasks and projects to others; meanwhile, their own workload keeps piling up.
There are a variety of reasons that delegation can be challenging; it requires leaders to properly train their team members and empower them to succeed at what they are asked to do. It also requires trust in their abilities while also scheduling follow-ups and coaching at certain points throughout the project.
Delegation requires time, and we are often in short supply. However, if done with intention, you’ll find that the output greatly exceeds the input.
Don’t dump.
When managers offload simple or tedious work to those on their team, it is called “dumping.” Let’s be plain: Dumping is not a synonym for delegation. It is a short-term solution for leaders who feel overwhelmed by mundane tasks. While it may clear your desk for a brief period, there are no long-term benefits to dumping work onto others. In fact, the opposite is true. Employees who are stuck with uninteresting work will not grow or be able to complete higher-level projects. Eventually, they’re likely to grow bored and leave—searching for a place that recognizes their potential and strives to grow their talent.
Don’t divide (for long).
Dividing is another form of dumping, though sometimes necessary. When a manager divides work, they divvy up tasks among the entire team. Everybody takes a piece of the work, but the manager does not consider individual strengths or career goals. They also do not take into account how many projects a person already has on their plate.
When a team must quickly put out a fire and manage an urgent problem, division can be a helpful strategy. However, it is not ideal long-term.
Do decide.
Deciding is a more intentional form of delegation. As in the “dividing” form of delegation, a leader will take larger projects and figure out how to break them down into smaller pieces, dividing the work between teammates. However, deciding requires intention because the distribution is based on the individual’s talents, current workload and desire to grow in certain areas.
A leader needs to evaluate the talent available to them, distribute the work according to their team members’ strengths and plan out the scope of the project or tasks with corresponding deadlines. Within the distribution process, training might also be required, and follow-up is essential.
In a previous article I wrote on the Pareto Principle, I talked about a senior human resources (HR) representative in a medium-sized company whose workload became too much. Among his other tasks, he was the sole person responsible for conducting case-based interviews for all new hires. The project demanded extra time and travel that went beyond what was feasible.
To best manage the hiring responsibilities, he began to train other representatives on his team to share the workload. He hand-picked people who wished to be given more responsibility and learn new skills and who could take on more work.
With permission from the candidates, he taped a couple of interviews. Then he organized training sessions where he would watch the replay of the interviews with team members, pausing to make comments and explain different expectations and pivotal points in each interview. Then he allowed each team member to sit in on an interview or two that he led and finally asked them to take the lead with him as a shadow in the room—ready to step in if necessary or offer feedback afterward. After several months, the intentional training paid off. He successfully shared his workload with competent team members, freeing up time to concentrate on his other tasks and empowering those around him.
Deciding is the optimal form of delegation—but also the hardest because it requires intention, training and follow-up. Leaders should ask themselves, “How well do I know my people?” In a world of video meetings and remote workspaces, we may need to make more of an effort to get to know the people we are working with to successfully delegate in a way that benefits everyone involved.