Consider this all-too-common work scenario. It’s Friday afternoon, you’re in your office frantically working to knock out the remaining tasks on your to-do list before you’re able to head out for the weekend. But as you look at your to-do list and then the clock, you think there is no way this is going to happen.
Then you look out your office door. You see that a number of your employees’ desks are unoccupied. One of your direct reports is heading out the door with a satisfied face that reads he is ready to enjoy his weekend.
You quickly glance at your to-do list. Is there a task or two on here that I can give to one of them to help me out? But as you skim the list, you resolve that no one out there will be able to do the tasks sufficiently. You can’t hand them over. It looks like you’ll be here a few more hours, all the while knowing that your people are already off enjoying their weekend.
How is this possible? How do you seem to still have so much on your plate right now while everyone else around you…the very people you hired and that work for you…appear to be unburdened and unbothered? Clearly you think to yourself that something is not working. This is not sustainable. It’s not effective. And it’s certainly not efficient. Understandably, you’re frustrated. But what can you do other than get back to work to finish this all? And next Friday…how are you going to prevent this from happening again next week? This situation seems hopeless.
Well, it sounds like you have a delegation problem. And it is certainly a problem you need to fix.
But delegation is a hard topic. We often feel a lot of fear, anxiety, or even shame around the idea of it. So, let’s dig into delegation this week – what it is, why it matters, and specific ways that we can use it now, no matter what our role is or how big our team is. All it takes is that you’re a leader or manager of at least one person.
Let’s get started.
TRANSITION
Welcome to the 3x5 Leadership podcast where we champion intentional leaders who create significant impacts. In this show, we offer simple, practical strategies to help you live, lead, and learn more intentionally. I’m Josh and I’m excited that you’ve joined us today.
So, first, what is delegation? In its simplest form, delegation is the transfer of responsibility of something from one person to another, usually from a more senior member like a boss to a more junior one like a direct report. The responsibility transferred can be in the form of a decision, a project, action to be taken, or a stand alone task.
And when we think about being leaders or managers of teams, the concept of delegation makes sense. As the boss, I have to employ and engage my people to get results through them. Everyone will share the load of responsibility. But of course, that simple idea is far from the reality that we often experience at work. Delegation actually ends up being hard – and scary – for many leaders and managers. But why?
Well, for one, we often think delegating a task will take more time and effort to explain to someone else and make them responsible for it, than it would to just do it ourselves. So, we keep the responsibility and deal with it alone. Or we may need to feel valuable and indispensable, worried that if we hand over responsibility to others, we lose perceived relevance.
We may also desire the sense of accomplishment and recognition that comes with being the executor of tasks. It does feel good to be able to cross items off our to-do list. And still, some of us may feel guilty about putting more work on others, believing the burden should be ours as the leader and not one someone else should carry for us. Thus, we are the ones that stay at the office past 6 PM – not them.
It might also just come down to a simple lack of confidence or trust in others, convinced that they won’t do the task as well as we will. So, to ensure it’s done right, we take care of it.
No matter our specific reasoning, there are plenty of obstacles that stand in our way to effective delegation. The issue is, however, that being a leader or manager is not about what we can accomplish as individuals anymore. It’s about what we can get others to do. It’s about making our team capable of becoming more than just the sum of its parts. We no longer just manage our own tasks, our own calendar, and our own responsibilities. We delegate to work with and through others to get bigger results and create more significant impacts.
So, then, how do we delegate well? While there are specific strategies and approaches we can take, which we will explore here shortly, I think it is important to understand a few necessary mental shifts we have to make first. These mental shifts help us understand the value of delegation and why it’s important to commit to, though it’s often the harder method of leading than to merely be and do it all ourselves. Remember, we weren’t placed in a position of leadership to be a simple task executor.
The first important mental shift is to understand that we all have different roles and value to add. As a leader or a manager, there are things that only we can do that we cannot delegate to others. Those might be decisions, complex tasks that would be unfair to delegate to more junior people, or establishing team priorities. But once we determine what those things that only we can do are, we ought to delegate the rest. Because this is about capacity management. Even as the leader, though we likely have more experience and maybe more education, we are still only one human. We have a finite amount of time, energy, and capacity. We need to manage that capacity well, expending it on only those things that we can action. The rest, we delegate to our team. Through good delegation, we increase our individual capacity. And from that increased capacity, we are able to improve and expand the value we create for our team and for the whole organization. So, let’s maintain a bias for delegation – is this something that I have to do or is it something I could…and should…delegate to someone else?
A second mental shift we need to make is viewing delegation as a means to engage our people and make them feel like owners of responsibility, rather than temporary renters of tasks. Delegation enables improved autonomy for our people. When we don’t delegate and give our people responsibility, it can lead to a phenomenon akin to burnout, but is actually what we call boreout. Boreout is when people feel disengaged and underloaded at work. It leads to a type of stress that creates cynicism and what we can call the renter-effect, which is when people don’t care about something – they comply because they have to, not commit because they choose to. Delegation is a mechanism to fight boreout and the renter mentality. By delegating, we assign responsibility. We give people the ability to own something, to care for it as their own, and to carry it out in their own way. We give them autonomy. So, we need to view delegation as a means to engage our people, make them owners who have stake in our organization, and to grant them space to operate on their own. We hired them in large part because of their talents and potential, right? So, let’s give them the ability to put it all to use.
And the third mental shift we should make to successfully delegate is to view it not as being lazy, but as a way to grow our peoples’ abilities, their self-sufficiency, and their capacity. Some research focused on adult learning and development shows that 70% of our learning comes from doing the actual work – essentially on-the-job training. This includes working through problem solving and challenging tasks over repetitive practice. So, even when we consider all the different ways we can learn – like instructional classes, mentorship, coaching, feedback, and even self-study – the most significant method of learning is by actually doing the thing. And leaders delegating tasks and responsibility is a great way to create those opportunities for growth through challenging work. Over time and practice then, our people improve their skills, their ability to manage more tasks and more responsibility, and ultimately become more self-sufficient needing to look to us for guidance and support less often.
So, I hope that we can see how powerful and important delegation is. It makes us better, able to focus on the things we need to as leaders so that we can continue to maximize the value we bring to people and the organization. Like we said, it makes our people better through improved abilities, self-sufficiency, and capacity. And, ultimately, it makes our organization better with more people who are committed, empowered, and engaged.
But the question that now remains for many of us is likely how do I delegate…and how do I do it well? So, to help us delegate intentionally and effectively, let’s explore a few small strategies that we can put into action now.
One strategy is to use discernment and to know what to delegate and what not to. Inherent to our decision to delegate things to others is our assumption of risk. When we delegate, we assume risk – risk in the outcome, risk in the processes someone may use to get the job done, risk in the resources or capital they might consume to execute, and the risk of using an established reputation and relationships when acting on our behalf. I’m not a physician, but I view it in a similar way to physician assistants operating under a physician’s license. It requires trust. So, know what we can delegate and what we shouldn’t. Understand the potential risk tied to delegating a task to someone and only accept it if done prudently. Is this a low-risk situation with room for error and thus growth? Or is this a high stakes scenario where we can’t risk anything but putting our absolute best on the task? Be discerning and act accordingly.
Just like we grow others’ capacity over time, so too can we grow our ability to identify, assess, and assume risk through incremental practice. And finally, we don’t trust recklessly. We give and earn trust through a process of teaching, testing, then trusting. So, when looking to delegate responsibility to someone else, work through a process of teaching them to ensure they are adequately equipped, then give them a practice-run to test and confirm abilities, and then finally trust them to act on our behalf. This is a much more practical, sustainable, and developmental approach to delegating.
Another strategy for delegation done well is to be careful to not only delegate responsibility, but to also ensure we provide the necessary authority and resources to manage that responsibility successfully. Too often, delegation happens through the granting of responsibility to someone else – usually a more junior person – and essentially telling them to figure it out. With this new responsibility, the person is left feeling helpless with no support or knowledge on where to start. Often, the easiest part of delegation is transferring responsibility – saying “you’re in charge of this.” What is usually overlooked, yet is critical to enabling the person we are delegating to, is to ensure that we also provide them with the authority and resources to carry out the responsibility well. When it comes to authority, have we granted them the ability to make decisions and agree to commitments on their own? Have we informed other stakeholders, both within and outside of the organization, that this person now oversees a particular task, giving our person the professional clout needed to operate independently? And as for resources, have we provided the time, the tools, the talent, money, and equipment required? What about knowledge and skills? Those are resources too. Does the person we are delegating to have the requisite knowledge and skills to execute, or should we look to get them some training first? So, as we delegate responsibility, make sure to also grant the necessary authority and resources to set our people up for success.
This next strategy is simple – delegate the what, the why, and the desired outcome of a task, but do not direct how they should execute it. Let them figure that out. Clarify what the task or responsibility is and all associated information they need to know to carry it out. Also communicate the importance and relevance of the task. We all desire to contribute to meaningful work and expressing the importance of this new task that they are responsible for will help them know that it is significant. Then, define the desired outcome of the task so the person knows their expectations and is clear on what success looks like in the end. After that, get out of the way and let them operate within those broad boundaries. Allowing them to determine how to execute is a key component to granting them autonomy and ownership. Remember, we hired them right? Let’s put those talents to work. So, when delegating, focus on assigning what the task is, why it’s important, and what the end state should look like. Give them room to explore how to get it done. There will surely be times our people surprise us and even teach us new ways of working when given the space to.
One thing that complicates delegation is stakeholder management. We are often blind to or overlook many of the stakeholders tied to a delegated task or project, and thus don’t share that information when handing over responsibility. This often leaves the person we are delegating to needing to consume time and energy just to figure out who’s who in the zoo regarding their new responsibility. They spend so much effort contacting people just to find that it’s not this person who can help, but actually this other person instead. Here’s their phone number – good luck.
So, instead of leaving our people alone and unafraid trying to build their own network of contacts associated with their new responsibility, our next delegation strategy is to use a simple decision-making acronym as a framework to clarify stakeholders. The acronym is DACI (day-see) – D-A-C-I – and it stands for driver, approver, contributors, and informed. It helps map out how different people are involved in a task, a project, or a decision. Let’s run through each letter quickly.
When delegating, help the new owner of the task know who the drivers of it are. Drivers can be others involved who help steer the project, ensuring that tasks are accomplished, and who keep momentum moving forward. Drivers tend to be in positions like project manager or team lead. The person we delegate to will often be a driver, but there may be others who will act alongside them, so it’s important to clarify that.
Approver is the ultimate decision-maker within a task or project. This is the person with the authority to make organizational commitments. When considering authority, we can delegate decision-making down to others or may elect to retain it for certain decisions. But it is key to define authorities and who has the power to do what.
The C in DACI (day-see) stands for contributors. These are people who can provide expertise, suggestions, and any specialized work toward the project. When delegating, make sure to specify if contributors are independent actors or if they in fact report to our teammate who we are placing in charge. Clear boundaries and relationship networks are important for efficient execution.
Finally, I represents the people that need to remain informed. They need to be aware of the project’s progress because it may impact other things they are working on. However, these people will not directly participate in tasks or decision-making.
So, again, consider using the DACI (day-see) decision-making framework to inform the person we are delegating to on the complex network of stakeholders that they will need to engage, work with, or keep informed. This simple act can make their initial efforts on this task a lot easier and a lot more efficient, rather than consuming time and energy trying to find out who to collaborate with.
Now, a strategy to help us identify who to delegate to is to consider delegating to a person’s strengths or to delegate for their development. We often default to our bias for quality results and high performance. So, we typically delegate tasks to our heavy hitters that we know will take on the task well, get the desired outcomes, and do it quickly and efficiently. We are able to assign responsibility to them, not have to worry about it after, and move on to other things…the things only we can do. And while delegating for performance is necessary for organizational effectiveness and efficiency, when we do this too much, we overburden our high performers. They get burned out. They can also get cynical, seeing how hard they work versus others who may not be as skilled and thus not relied on as much. And not only do our heavy hitters get overworked, burned out, and cynical, but our other teammates seen as less capable remain unengaged, unchallenged, and thus stagnant in their growth. As a result, everyone is pretty unsatisfied.
So, let’s consider delegating to someone based on their strengths…or for their development. Remember back to the research that found 70% of learning comes from challenging experiences and work. When looking at a task, a project, or a responsibility to delegate, consider its importance and risk. Is this a no-fail matter with major impacts that we don’t have any room for error? If so, let’s err toward delegating based on a person’s strengths who we know will execute well, thus reducing our risk. However, if the task carries fewer consequences and leaves plenty of room for exploratory learning while working on it, consider delegating to a person’s developmental needs. When we do, though, make sure we set them up for success. It’s helpful to acknowledge that this will be a challenging task, but that we are confident in their ability to do it well, and that we will support them through the task. That support can look like routine check-ins to coach our teammate through their efforts. It can be thoughtful feedback to bring focus to their growth. And it can be encouragement to keep them engaged. So, remember to delegate according to strengths for high performance and according to developmental needs to keep our people learning and growing. And make sure we don’t continue to default to the former; it’s all too natural to just hit the easy button as a leader and keep giving responsibility to our preferred high performers.
Now, our last two strategies are less about how to delegate something and more about the support that we provide our people as they execute the things we have delegated to them. First, one major issue often tied with delegation is micromanagement. Due to insurmountable concerns over risk, results, or the discomfort of allowing others to operate within a defined space because they might do it quote-unquote wrong, many leaders default to a helicopter boss mode. They remain too involved, consistently overwhelming the person they have apparently placed in charge of a task. They don’t give any room to operate or breathe.
So, this strategy argues to counter micromanagement by being accessible as a leader and to use regularly scheduled touchpoints to check-in on progress. Being accessible and communicating that accessibility to our people is important so they know it is safe to come to us any time they need help. If our people are fearful to approach us with issues, it not only hinders progress on the delegated task, but allows feelings of isolation and a lack of self-efficacy to fester within them. As a result, they become less committed and more paralyzed to act, leaving the task as well as their growth at risk. So, when delegating a task, overemphasize our accessibility. Encourage them to come talk to us anytime if they have questions, concerns, or need help. And when they do use that accessibility, welcome it. Turn away from our computer or our phone, be present, give them our time and attention, and offer all the help we can. And in those moments, be thoughtful in the type of value we add. Our teammate may come in looking to us for a decision that is well within their authority to make. However, instead of, again, hitting the easy button and removing that burden from them, can we offer other types of value like coaching? Through that, we don’t alleviate them of responsibility, but help them think through the issue more intentionally and holistically. Through this practice, we build their self-sufficiency over time.
The other part of this strategy to counter any micromanagement tendencies is to use regularly scheduled check-ins. We may feel uneasy about not having heard any updates about the delegated task. Thus, we feel an impulse to get an update about it. So, we bother our people with questions, forcing them to stop what they are working on to address our urgent, but rather unnecessary needs. This sounds like bad management. And it is. But I get it! As leaders, we always feel the need to remain informed about what is going on around us.
To avoid this vicious cycle though, let’s establish a routine of regular check-ins with our people to discuss updates about their tasks. First, how often does this need to happen? Can it be weekly? What about monthly? Figure out what would be sustainable for you and the other person, what would not be too burdensome on them, and what would be required based on the type of task or project we are working with.
Second, can we include these updates into an already-scheduled event, so we are not adding more meetings or requirements? One example is a weekly one-on-one meeting, which was the topic of one of our recent podcast episodes. We can use these short, simple touchpoints to discuss task updates. But they also become great opportunities to engage our people and facilitate regular conversations about their development. So, I encourage you to check out that episode if you haven’t listened to it, which we have linked in the show notes.
Ok, now, the last strategy to delegate well is to make sure we recognize, celebrate, and appreciate our people throughout their task execution. As we give our people responsibility, don’t forget to give them credit too. There are a ton of ways to do it, so let’s not get wrapped up in the idea of some right way…we just need to do it. It’s just like expressing gratitude, do what is natural to us and that would be meaningful to them. We can express our thanks to them in-person in the office, we can recognize them at a staff meeting in front of their colleagues, and we can even write hand-written notes of gratitude. Again, there are plenty of ways. We just need to actually do it, because gratitude felt does not make gratitude expressed. We may feel appreciation for our people, but if we don’t make the effort to share it, our people will never receive it and thus benefit from it. And don’t forget to share that credit up. Speaking well about our people and their accomplishment to our boss is a powerful way to champion them and get them in a position for future, great opportunities. And finally, remember to share appreciation, absolutely, but also share feedback too. The delegation of tasks creates opportunity for that 70% of learning through doing the work, yes. But what about that other 30%? Well, a good part of that additional 30 comes from feedback. So, let’s ensure we are maximizing the growth and learning of our people through delegation by including regular feedback as well.
So, last year I transitioned to a new role in running operations for a 700-person organization. This new role is the first time I’ve really moved from what I’ll call direct leadership to a more organizational-level approach. I do a lot less direct-engagement-leading with the people on my team, which is what I have been used to over the past decade. Now, I manage a team of teams, relying a lot more on things like policy, orders, and guidance in order to lead, and to manage, and to enact change. I do less of the execution and a lot more of enabling other leaders to do the executing.
But in preparing for this new role, I remember speaking to a mentor a few years back who had been in a similar job. And his one piece of advice has remained with me all these years. It’s something on my mind daily now that I’m actually in position. He said to delegate until it hurts and then delegate some more.
And with almost one year complete in this new, organizational-level leadership role, I not only understand what he was talking about, but I also 100% agree. It just goes back to the arguments we made at the beginning of this episode. Delegation is not lazy. It might be scary, sure. It’s hard because we see it as a burden – it would take a lot less time and effort to just do the task ourselves, rather than committing resources to teach someone else to. But think about the opportunities lost in that approach. What are we not doing by using our time and resources on this task that someone else could do? And what are the costs for our peoples’ learning and growth when we don’t provide them opportunities to practice and to have responsibility? Delegation is a powerful tool both for organizational effectiveness and for the development of our people.
So, what’s holding you back from delegating until it hurts?
What’s one task or project you can delegate this week that you’ve kept on your own to-do list?
What strategies discussed today could…and should you employ to ensure that you delegate the task well?
I believe you’ll be amazed at the impacts you can achieve through a habit of thoughtful delegation – impacts in results, in efficiencies, in your peoples’ development, and even improvements in their commitment to the organization.
So, let’s go and delegate well this week.
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So, thanks for joining us today. Thanks for your support and for choosing to lead intentionally every day wherever you serve. It matters.
And until next episode, friends, take care and lead well.
