There are plenty of excuses for not delegating. Have you ever used any of these?
“She could probably do the job, but by the time I’ve explained what needs to be done and how to do it, I could have done it myself.”
“I know exactly how I want the job done. I’ll just do it myself.”
“But if he fails, I’ll look bad.”
Whether because of fear of failure or a lack of confidence in others, it’s just difficult for some people to let go.
Yes, it will take time to describe in detail how you want the job done and you probably could just do it yourself in that time. But what this is really saying is you aren’t comfortable that your team members have the knowledge or ability to figure out how to do the task. There may also be a little fear that they might do it better than you would. That’s likely to be true.
Get over that.
Tell your team what needs to be done and any restrictions on what they can do. They need to know if there are limitations such as budget constraints and when the job must be done. Then let them apply their own creativity. Chances are they will find a better way than you would have.
If your creative juices are flowing and you want to follow through on an idea, great; but when you pass a task to a team member all you should tell them is what needs to be done. Leave the “how” to them. The team is there to achieve the goals and the team’s mission. You can’t do everything yourself.
Yes, if a team member fails, you may look bad. But, if you fail because you’re trying to do everything yourself, how bad will that make you look?
Part of your job as a leader is to develop the skills, knowledge, and expertise of your team. That’s how you will be most successful as a leader, and how you avoid having to do everything yourself.
Bob Mason is dedicated to leadership development. He works with companies to solve problems by helping supervisors and managers become more effective leaders leading more productive teams. He is a professional speaker and author of Don’t Worry, You Can Do This: What New Supervisors and Managers Need to Know About Leadership; The Art of Not Motivating: How Leaders Can Succeed by Understanding the True Nature of Motivation; Balancing the Generations: A Leader’s Guide to the Complex, Multi-Generational, 21st Century Workplace; and Planning to Excel: Strategic Planning That Works.
A 30-year career in the U.S. Air Force exposed him to great leaders and leadership opportunities such as command of four squadrons, including the Air Force’s largest munitions squadron. He has studied leadership extensively, but more importantly has been there, working with real people, making hard decisions, and experiencing the results.
Contact Bob at Bob@BobMasonSpeaker.com or 505-453-5266
