Rebecca did a very smart thing. During the delegation meeting with Todd, she asked him to take the notes. As Rebecca described various elements of the delegation, Todd wrote things down. Before the meeting was over, she had Todd read back the notes.

It is simple, subtle and very effective. I meet many managers who are stressed beyond belief, thinking they have to do all the “work” in their meetings.

What dynamic changes when this responsibility is shifted to the team member? What can the manager now focus on?

It all started with Rebecca’s request, “Todd, I need to see you in fifteen minutes to go over the progress on the ABC project, and please bring a notepad. I want you to take some notes to document our meeting.” -TF

Aaron was in the middle of a dilemma. He was a firm believer that, as a manager, delegation was his most powerful development tool, but he was uncomfortable a possible outcome. If this delegation failed, it could be disastrous. His dilemma was “who?” Who should he pick to head this project?

His top gun was reliable, but always overloaded with work. Aaron wanted to spread the responsibility to a young, up and comer, but this would be a stretch, with the distinct possibility of failure. That’s when I got the call. Who to pick?

Selecting the right team member is the absolute toughest step in delegation. The manager can do everything else correctly, but if the wrong person is chosen, success may be fleeting.

Selecting the right person is a process of risk management. If the purpose of delegation is people development, and understanding that people learn the most from their mistakes, risk management becomes the rule of thumb to determine who gets the nod.

If you work in a nuclear power plant, you have to pick your top gun every time. If you run an ice cream shop, you can afford the occasional misstep. Gauge the risk, then pick the person. -TF

“My mother taught me that if you want it done right, you have to do it yourself,” proclaimed Judith, repeating the sage advice she had learned in her youth.

“Interesting,” I replied. We had been discussing her reluctance to delegate. “Why do you think your mother said that?”

“Well, people just never do things the way we expect them to be done.” I wholeheartedly agreed. But, what causes this underperformance?

Most often, the goal of the delegation is never communicated to the team member in terms of a performance standard. They receive some vague request, “Can you take care of this task or that task?” but the exact expectation is seldom spelled out. They are told what to do, but not how well or by when.

So, spell it out. It is the responsibility of the manager to describe the specific performance standard. With a clear picture, there is a higher probability of it being done right, and the possibility that your mother was wrong. -TF

I watched as Vincent dropped everything on his desk and excused himself. From the corner window, he had spotted the postal carrier bringing a bag of mail from her truck. Vincent was a senior partner in the firm and he was on his way to the reception desk to perform his daily ritual, sorting the mail. Twenty minutes later, he would return, announcing that eight clients had sent in payments that day. Sure enough, he had neatly stacked the eight envelopes for the receptionist to deliver to accounting.

Take a 3×5 card and write down three things that meet all the following criteria:

• A task that you perform repetitively.
• A task that you enjoy doing.
• A task that is important to the organization.

I often hear the refrain, “I’m not really sure what I can delegate to someone else.” So, take a look at the list. Any task that you perform on a repetitive basis is a candidate. You may have overlooked this task because it is something that you enjoy. You may have even justified this task as important to the organization. Look at the list again. What can you delegate? -TF