Why Delegation Isn’t a Task
The right way to hand things off
You’re sitting at a concert, and the music is amazing.
The conductor swiftly moves between the notes and invites different parts of the orchestra in. Separately, it would make no sense.
Together. It’s divine.
Why is that?
The musicians know what to do and follow the lead of the conductor. Slow down. Push the tunes up. They work as one.
Why does working together feel impossible in some teams? Leadership plays a role, and here is how delegation is at the heart of it.
(PS: You’ll learn how to do it better!)
Delegation isn’t a task
Some leaders see delegation as a task on their to-do list. “Ask to do a report.” “Let her present this.”
Delegated? Ticked.
Others delegate to get rid of responsibilities. “It’s yours now. Figure it out.”
Both of these are silly.
If you are a leader, you can’t get rid of ownership. You need to see delegation as a leadership skill.
Like in an orchestra, you have a team to work with. You cannot do everything yourself and play all the different instruments simultaneously. Likewise, you cannot let them be alone because an orchestra without a conductor is missing leadership.
Do you see this little essence that you’re so important to provide to your team?
If you fail to read notes well, your team will be confused, and the whole music line will be disturbed. It is like when you communicate a vision without telling your team “why” behind it. Or let them be without your support.
“Do this.” Without telling them how to do it.
Don’t disguise lack of guidance for being proative.
Start taking full responsibility for making sure your team succeeds. You own the outcome, not necessarily every action.
Do you help create a team that can perform?
Delegation isn’t a task. It is a collaboration.
Delegation isn’t dumping control
“It’s now their problem."
You wish.
Don’t be silly. If you delegate, it does not mean you are stripping down ownership. If you lead a team, you own their mistakes, too.
You have their backs = they will respect you.
People I worked with are often control freaks. They don’t want to let go. So, they work and work and guess what, burn out.
Leadership cannot function without delegation. On the flipside, when you define clearly what needs to be done and why, you give the right level of guidance (see my favourite Skill-Will case study), and let your team execute and plan. Wow, you’ll see miracles.
So, think of your role as someone who makes sure things get done. Equip your team, give them training, resources, and trust.
That isn’t letting go of control. It is pretty much about extending it.
Don’t avoid delegation, ever.
“Delegation is risky. You don’t know if they do it right.”
“We don’t have time to explain all the details.”
Two arguments I hear again and again. Stupid.
Giving away tasks might look like delegation on the surface, but as long as your team is dependent on you, you’re creating the risk.
You should always aim to turn delegation into a skill. What you give to people isn’t a task, but trust that they will do their best to deliver what needs to be done.
How? To the standards, of course.
Delegation is no coincidence; it is about readiness to take on more. Ask yourself these:
Have I trained my team?
Have I given them a clear goal?
Have I stepped back enough to let them step up?
Delegation creates new leaders. If you avoid it, you become the bottleneck.
How to delegate sauce
Try this recipe:
Clarify goal/vision/mission.
Be as simple and clear as possible.
What’s the goal?
What does success look like?
What’s non-negotiable?
Make sure everybody understands
People are sometimes reluctant to ask questions. They don’t want to look silly. Break that!
Ask them to repeat the mission back in their own words. Misalignment starts small.
Ask if they understand, even repeatedly.
Give decision-making power
Difficult but necessary. Let your team own the “how” within the boundaries of the goal.
Let them present their solution and close the gaps with them.
If you struggle with buy-in, this step is absolutely crucial for you to consider.
Stay connected, don’t overcontrol
Monitor the progress. Be in touch with your team.
Ask questions and coach them, don’t micromanage at this stage.
Debrief and improve
After the task is done, review it. A MUST-HAVE
Many leaders are skipping the review because of a lack of time. That explains why the same mistakes happen again.
You should always have a review!
What went well? What didn’t? What’s the lesson for the future?
TL;DR
Delegation is your best friend. You cannot play on all instruments alone. Someone needs to lead the composition. Otherwise, you end up having a mess.
What do you do today that you can improve tomorrow?
Can you give away more decision-making power? Can you train your team better? Can you hold a review session on your past projects?
Delegation is an important part of collaboration. Don’t avoid it or neglect it. You own it.
Have a good one, Ivona