I was working with a group yesterday and the topic was delegation. I asked them to make a list of all the reasons that we don’t delegate more often. The first word spoken was “Fear.”
“Fear of what?” I asked.
“Fear that the person will fail.”
“Fear of losing control.”
“Fear that the project will not get finished.”
“Fear that the quality will not be up to my performance standards.”
So, the reason that we don’t delegate more often, has to do with a powerful human emotion. It is a wonder that we can delegate at all.
So, here is my question. How do you deal with the fear? When you do delegate, how do you ensure that the project will not fail, that you will not lose control, that the project will be finished, that the quality will be up to your performance standards? -TF
Fear of Delegation is probably one of the toughest emotions to overcome.
We overcome it through repetition and a system of delegation.
-1- Recognize something that needs (or could be) delegation
-2- Determine the anticipated outcome.
-3- Identify candidate(s) for the task – are they ready? are they receptive? Will they find it challenging enough, too difficult, or just a routine task? Select the candidate (delegatee).
-4- Review the issue(s) with the candidate (delegatee), Making sure all relevent information is available.
-5- Check for comments and understanding of the task.
-6- Identify the expected outcome with the candidate (delegatee) along with the expected time-frame(s).
-7- Identify any key milestones or stages.
-8- Identify any key or subordinate individuals needing to be involved.
-9- Agree upon expected followup/review points with the candidate (delegatee).
-10- Followup with the candidate in the beginning at least twice as often as originally agreed determining their progress, direction, and questions about the task.
-11- Let the candidate (delegatee) have all of the credit. As the delegator, you must accept all of the responsibility for failure(s).
People will only try their hardest for a superior or co-worker that shares credit and accepts responsibility. You must build your ‘trust’ account with your staff (superiors, subordinates and co-workers). Trust is earned, never demanded or expected. With trust, your team can move the world.
David,
There are many bases to cover related to delegation and you captured them well. I particularly like the way you started, talking about repetition. Often, we hesitate to do something simply because we don’t do it enough. The more you delegate, the more practice you get. The more practice you get, the less fear you will have.
1. Define elements of the project and articulate what is expected of the finished project.
2. Set phased timelines for completion.
3. Meet, monitor, adapt if necessary.
4. Hold accountable for defined elements of completed project.
5. Congratulate them on a project well done.
Barry,
I am glad you included the recognition step. It is important to establish positive consequences for work well done.
Fear prevents us from maximizing the skills we have developed for years. But this will not be a factor when you learn the ways to become confident as a leader . When you are able to do this, then you can guide your team to become the best that they can be.
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