Delegation is one of those aspects of leadership that all leaders want to think they do well. Most leaders have come to realise the importance of delegation. However, many view delegation as merely a necessity. Something we have to do. We don’t view delegation as something good for the organisation or us. It’s something that we should do because let’s face it. None of us can do it all! But there are many reasons why leaders are reluctant to delegate.
We’ve all heard the adage “If you want something done right, do it yourself.” Many people in leadership consider that adage gospel. We may delegate some tasks, but when it comes to essential matters, if we want them done right, we should be the ones to do them. So we don’t delegate as we should. All of us are also familiar with the saying, “Give a man a fish and he eats for a day. Teach a man to fish and he eats for a lifetime.” Our primary focus as leaders is people development. Delegation is one way we help those around us develop their leadership skills.
What Is Delegation?
Delegation is a key management skill where a leader or manager assigns responsibility and authority to subordinates or team members to complete a task or project. Essentially, it involves transferring the workload from one person, typically someone in a position of authority, to another person, usually a direct report or team member.
Why Is Delegation Important?
Here are several reasons why delegation is considered a good practice:
- Efficiency: Delegation helps in distributing the workload more evenly across a team or organisation. By assigning tasks to individuals who possess the necessary skills and have sufficient time, tasks can be completed more efficiently, resulting in increased overall productivity.
- Employee Development: Delegation is an excellent opportunity for employee growth and development. When team members are given responsibilities, they acquire new skills, gain valuable experiences, and have the chance to demonstrate their capabilities. This can lead to higher employee morale and engagement.
- Time Management: Leaders and managers have limited time and energy. Delegation allows them to focus on higher-level tasks that require their specific expertise, such as strategic planning and decision-making. In contrast, routine or specialised tasks are handled by their team.
- Empowerment and Trust Building: Delegating tasks to employees demonstrates trust in their abilities and judgment. This empowers employees, leading to increased job satisfaction and a sense of ownership over their work. It also fosters a more collaborative and trusting work environment.
- Succession Planning: Through delegation, leaders can identify and develop future leaders. Employees who excel in delegated tasks may demonstrate potential for more significant roles, aiding in the succession planning process within the organisation.
- Innovation and Diverse Perspectives: Delegating tasks to different team members can bring in fresh ideas and perspectives. This diversity in approach and thought can lead to more innovative solutions and improvements in processes and products.
- Work-Life Balance: Effective delegation can help maintain a better work-life balance for both leaders and team members. Ensuring that workloads are distributed appropriately reduces the risk of burnout and stress.
In summary, delegation is not just a task distribution mechanism; it’s a strategic tool for effective leadership and organisational growth. It helps build a more capable, motivated, and efficient team while allowing leaders to focus on critical aspects of their roles.
Obstacles To Delegation
I have identified seven major obstacles to delegation. This is not an exhaustive list, but it does encapsulate some of the main thoughts behind our reluctance to delegate.
1. The challenge of time
One of the biggest challenges I have personally faced, which has made me reluctant to delegate, is the challenge of time. By the time I explain the task to someone else, I could have done it myself many times over.
For example, I once worked at a church where one of my responsibilities was to upload the weekly sermon to our website. The process was rather lengthy and technical. It took me several hours each week to finish. Where would I find the time, let alone someone with the technical know-how to delegate this task to someone? After several years, I decided to take action. I looked for someone with the capability, not expertise, to be able to manage the technical aspects of the task.
After training them thoroughly on the process, I turned it over to them. I thought that the time invested in training someone else would be greater than the time I would save by not doing it. It turned out that the time I saved by letting someone else do the job was more than I had even imagined, and I had no reason to be reluctant to delegate.
2. Reluctant to Delegate Because of fear
The fear of failure is a barrier that many leaders face, making them reluctant to delegate. What if they make a mistake? If they mess up? What if they don’t do it the way I want it done? I’ll just have to go back and fix the mistakes they have made, so I might as well do it myself.
Failure is one of the possible outcomes in any given situation. Proper preparation reduces the likelihood of failure. Of course, we can never eliminate failure as a possibility. But leaders are risk-takers by nature. The desired result is not found in eliminating risk, but in minimising it. So start by identifying your fear. Then minimise the risk that is the root of that fear. For example, if you fear delegation because you’re afraid that the work won’t get done, that’s the perceived risk of delegation.
Now that you have identified the possible risk, consider what you would need to do to minimise that risk. If your concern is that the work will not be completed, establish a follow-up system for each subtask involved. Outline each task, set deadlines for them, and hold a meeting at each deadline to ensure that all tasks get completed.
Identifying your fear and then minimising the risk associated with that fear will help put your mind at ease when fear is holding you back from delegating responsibility to others. Keep in mind that doing something right and doing something the way you think it should be done are two different things. Remember, it’s the final product or outcome that is important, not the process used to achieve it.
3. Reluctant to delegate and pride
Some leaders love the adulation that comes with a job well done so much that they are reluctant to delegate tasks to others. They fear that if they delegate, they won’t get the credit for doing it. We all enjoy a little praise. Also, we like recognition for our hard work. We love the recognition that comes from doing a good job. Finally, we want others to see us as the hard-working, responsible, capable people that we are. The problem comes when that becomes the goal of doing something. If your highest goal is the praise you will receive for doing it, then what you’re saying is “I’m more important than the team I have surrounding me”.
Ultimately, this is a sign of insecurity. Insecurity is not what we want to portray as leaders. Additionally, the mind of an insecure leader will perceive any praise not directed toward them as a threat to their leadership. But the opposite is true. As you develop others and give them the freedom to lead, you increase their loyalty to you. They will often give you credit for things that you had no part in. Secure leaders are not concerned with who gets the credit.
Pride also comes into play when we don’t delegate, as we often view delegation as an admission that we can’t handle our workload. We tend to see delegation as an admission that we are overwhelmed. Or we see it as a sign that we lack the organisational skills to keep on top of everything. To delegate would make us look just a little “less” in the eyes of those who are watching us as leaders. So we cling to our workload despite actually feeling overwhelmed. We sacrifice efficiency and progress instead of delegating.
Those are the main reasons I have experienced, and here are some further, well-known reasons why leaders are reluctant to delegate.
4. Lack of Trust in the Team’s Abilities
A leader might doubt the competence or skills of their team members. This lack of trust can stem from past experiences where tasks were not completed to the desired standard, leading to hesitation in delegating important tasks.
5. Desire for Control
Some leaders have a strong preference for control over all aspects of a project. This desire to maintain control can make it difficult for them to hand over responsibilities to others, as they fear losing oversight or the ability to influence the outcome.
6. Inadequate Training or Support Systems
If team members lack proper training or if there’s no support system in place for delegated tasks, a leader might feel it’s easier or more efficient to handle the tasks themselves rather than investing time and resources in training.
7. Worry About Diminished Importance
Some leaders might fear that delegating significant tasks will reduce their importance or visibility in the organisation. They worry that if they are not seen as directly handling key projects, their value or leadership might be questioned.
What Should I Delegate?
So, what should we delegate to others? Not everything we do can be delegated. If so, we wouldn’t be necessary at all! Some general questions to consider when deciding which things to delegate would be:
- Is this something that only I can do? Does this require specific security privileges that I alone possess?
- Do they have the initiative, interest and intelligence/imagination to accomplish this?
- Do they possess the leadership skills necessary to manage the resources required to perform this task?
If the responsibility we want to delegate is something that only we can do due to security clearances, privacy issues, confidentiality concerns, or specialised knowledge, we cannot delegate that responsibility. When I ask if this is something that only you can do, I’m not asking if this is something that only you can do well. If you don’t start the process of delegating some of your responsibilities, you’re not a leader. You’re a doer. Be a leader and begin the process of delegating some of your responsibility to others who can assist you in leading.
