One of the hardest things for many managers is delegating. Most managers who don’t delegate have 4 basic perspectives:
- The Perfectionist – clearly no one is going to do it better than me.
- The Skeptic – no one will take the time and care I will to get it right.
- The Pacifist – I don’t want to just dump things on them; they are already overloaded.
- The Scaredy Cat – If I give it to them, it won’t be long until I’m out of a job.
Most of us fall into these perspective traps at least one time or another in our management life, and they can be the kiss of death or at the very least, a burden. Here are some things that can help us let go of certain tasks and move on to bigger and better things.
For the perfectionist and the skeptic, you have to realize that sometimes it does not have to be exactly your way for it to be okay. Focus on the objective and challenge your staff to come up with new ways to meet that objective. Work with them to help them learn how to produce the quality output you desire so that you can build trust in them. Unlock the potential in your staff or consider making changes where necessary if you have the wrong people in the wrong slots.
The Pacifist has to take charge and realize the benefit of delegation to the employee and themselves. Even the most mundane tasks should be viewed as a learning experience. Find the benefit to the employee and you will feel less like you are dumping. If you are getting bogged down in the minutia of day to day work, chances are you are missing out on real management opportunities. Rolling up your sleeves when you need to is great, but as a general rule, your staff should be the doers and you should be overseeing.
And for those who fear you could be replaced if someone else can do your job, first realize that everyone is replaceable, and then find other areas that bring higher value to you and let your staff develop as well.
Work to change the way you think of delegation. If you can begin to see delegation as a development too, instead of a threat or something that will be perceived as dumping, you will be able to delegate with confidence. Once you feel confident, make smart choices on what you delegate and to whom. When you are looking for what to “let go,” think of the following 4 types of tasks that are perfect for delegating:
- Repetitive work
- Clerical tasks
- Information collection
- Meeting representation
To decide who to delegate a task to, conduct a brief analysis of your staff. List their strengths and weaknesses and then delegate accordingly. When you note a weakness, set development plans so they can grow and you can delegate tasks to them in the future.
And remember, delegating a task doesn’t mean you are no longer responsible for it. As a manager, you must set your people up for success and check in to make sure they are getting the delegated task done. In the end, the buck stops with you.
er the staff meeting was over, one of his direct reports came into his office and asked for a moment of his time. She proceeded to tell him that after he left the meeting, everyone looked at each other and said, “Does anyone know what he meant?” No one had a clue as to what he wanted them to do. The CEO was shocked. He asked if anyone had any questions. No one spoke up.
Managing interruptions is critical to managing your time in the busy environment we work in. Do you ever feel like you run from one thing to another and never get the chance to focus 100% on any one thing? I can tell you, you are not alone.