Delegation is a perfect tool. It is always in pristine condition because it stays on the shelf and gathers dust there, rather than getting dinged and banged around through robust application by leaders. Why is that? Fear is the biggest driver, followed by poor time management. The accountability sits with the boss, no matter what delegation has been taking place. If one of the team screw up the delegation, they don’t get hammered from above, because the boss is the target for not running the team properly. No excuses allowed about , “well I delegated it to Kei so that he could develop his capabilities and start priming him for a future leadership role”. The big bosses hold you responsible and that fear of losing control and being at the mercy of a subordinate’s mistake, convinces risk averse bosses that delegation is a non-starter.
The time management issue is another blocker. To delegate properly, the boss needs to instruct the subordinate on what they need to do and discuss with them how to approach the task. That takes time and bosses without good time management skills simply give up and make that classic excuse, “it will be quicker, if I do it myself”. The delegation tool goes straight back on the shelf to become a dust attractor again.
To make sure that the delegation doesn’t blow up in the boss’s face, here are some things to consider after having sold the delegation, having explained the task in detail and then you start to see things going wrong.
1. What assumptions have I made about the delegate?
I expected that they would take the task in a certain direction, but they have started to deviate from the proper course. Have I assumed they understood the task completely? If that isn’t the case, then more time needs to be spent supervising to make sure they are zigging and not zagging in the future.
2. Have I made the expected results clear enough?
It is very hard to hit a target, if you are not sure what the actual target is. When we have a lot of experience we presume that knowledge is common and we assume common sense is universal. Not true. Many people seem to operate on a different cosmic dimension of common sense, so best not to rely on that hope. We need to re-state the expected results and link that back to how to get there.
3. Have I provided the requisite resources?
The key resource may be boss time. We are busy because now that we have delegated the task, we can concentrate on those tasks that only we can do and we are happily ploughing our way through vast quantities of quality work. We don’t want to micro-manage the action, but we need to make ourselves available to check in and make sure there are no deviations from the most effective course. Finding out just at the end that they took it right off course, is way too late and we don’t want that.
4. Have I provided the requisite knowledge? Did we condense down all of the knowledge they need? Or did we give them a scattering of information that didn’t fill in the holistic elements of the task? We have a lot of experience and knowledge, but that doesn’t mean we are skilled in passing it on to others. There are no training courses for bosses in this aspect of leading and everyone has to work it out for themselves, but don’t miss it - knowledge transfer is a real skill.
5. Does the delegate have enough time to do the task?
The selection process for the delegate can be seriously flawed. The boss surveys the team and thinks who doesn’t look too busy and so choose this person for the task. What if that is a bad selection process and what if the boss doesn't know that person’s current workload in detail? We are setting them up for failure from the outset.
6. Was my coaching sufficient?
I may be the boss but that doesn’t mean I am a good coach or a good communicator. We may have done a poor job of coaching the delegate and then we blame them for the issues which arise. Maybe we left out some things because, to us, they are totally obvious, but may be unknown to others with less experience.
7. Am I expecting the delegate to be me?
Bosses forget about age and stage. They forget what they were like at the same age and stage as the delegate. They expect an old head on young shoulders and get frustrated when life doesn’t work out like that.
Delegation is a good idea, when done for the right reasons and in the right way. Don’t let it become a dust collector. Your access to time to do quality work is there if you pick up the tool and brandish it.
