It’s a fundamental part of leadership, so why aren’t people better at it?
Here are a few comments from people that admit to being horrible at delegation:
- “I can do it better myself anyway”
- “Sometimes it’s an imposition to ask others to help”
- “I can do it easier and faster”
- “It will take too long to explain”
- “How can I delegate something I don’t know completely?”
- “They aren’t competent enough to see my vision”
- “I don’t want to upset anyone”
- “She’s going through a tough time and I don’t want to add to her problems”
- “I’m just not good at it”
The reason you need to get good… and I mean GOOD….at delegating is pretty simple. So, you can do bigger, better, more creative things! Also, the mark of a leader is how well their team does, not how much stuff they can personally get accomplished. People that stay in the day-to-day minutia will have a hard time creating other leaders, which is paramount to moving up in an organization.
Worse yet, not delegating robs your team of contributing. Your people will not keep growing if you continue to “micro-manage” situations. Give them the chance to be part of the process. To be “invested” in the outcome.
Here is the real kicker. When you realize that no one probably ever asked you to do everything you are doing in the first place. Thinking you are the only one that can do certain things isn’t even true. Yes, it might take a little time to teach someone “your” way but that extra time up front can save tons of time on the back end. Delegation is a way to get your people more involved and will give them more “skin in the game.” It also creates trust amongst teams. Asking for them to be involved shows you value them and their contributions. Not getting their involvement will create silos and a selfish mindset.
For one week, make a note of the things you are doing that someone else can do. Who else could use the experience? Who needs to step up? More importantly, what can you be doing with the extra time? What else can you be doing to affect the business? The answer to the last question is the big win for you and for your business.
