Delegating: Trusting Yourself and Others

Through coaching hundreds of leaders, I've observed the reasons individuals refrain from delegating falls into four key categories:

• New to delegating (lack of previous experience);
• No one to delegate to (lack of resources);
• Fear the work won't be done well (trust in oneself and others); and
• Fear of being replaced (limiting belief).

Sometimes, I'll find a leader doesn't delegate for one of the above reasons or for more than one reason ("I don't have experience delegating, and it really doesn't matter because I don't have anyone to delegate to!") It can be...complicated. 

In this article, we'll reflect on the third reason: "Fear the work won't be done well (trust in oneself and others)." I hear this concern often from both emerging and senior leaders along with, "I can do it faster so I might as well do it this time."

The truth is, the skill of delegation takes practice. And, without practice, one cannot grow the skill. Continuing to do the work yourself allows for short term efficiency and satisfaction, but in the long term, a leader who approaches delegation like they always have (i.e. doing the work without enlisting the help of others) will not demonstrate over time an ability to adapt, grow, and try new things. More practically, senior leadership may mistakenly perceive lack of practice in delegating as an *unwillingness* to delegate - which can play out to be a major career derailer.

Sure, it does take time to explain to someone how you would like something done. And, it can be very enticing to do the task or project yourself because you can do it faster - or because you know what you want and you don't fully trust someone else to deliver the product you're expecting. At some point, in order to grow and demonstrate an ability to take on more by enlisting the talents  of others, this cycle must be broken.

As a first step toward trusting others with a project or task, pick a body of work to delegate. Be clear in what "done" looks like and agree on the deadline with the individual you're delegating to. Then, stand back and allow the individual to go to work. Yes, there may be bumps in the road but the experience will be a learning opportunity for both of you and a chance to keep practicing. 

The best part about delegating is that it allows your team members to impress you and show you what they are capable of! And, who doesn't like that?