The Art of Delegation

By Clay S. Nelson, President - Consulting Services Network LLC

I am sure you have heard the saying, "Don't give a needy person a fish, teach him how to fish" easier said than done, yes? At some point you probably have thought about delegating a project or two, but hesitated because it would take too much time to show someone else how to complete it. Or perhaps you feared someone else might goof the project up. Or maybe you felt there was no one qualified to take on any new responsibilities and challenges.

While you might feel justified in maintaining complete control of the tasks you are juggling based upon your own observations and past experiences, delegation, when practiced consistently and correctly can free up your schedule immensely, allowing you as the leader to focus on company growth and other "A" priorities. Below you will find the most common objections we hear from those who do not want to delegate and our response to their dilemmas.

Objection #1: "I don't like delegating projects because it takes too long to explain everything and I end up getting bombarded with questions the entire way through the project. If I do the project myself, I save time."

When you delegate a project, begin by explaining specifically what needs to be done. Next, have the person repeat back to you what they heard. If you do this completely, it will save you frustration and time having to fix errors that result from miscommunication. Remember being a good leader means teaching your team how to fish! Teach them how to obtain information. If Jen asks you where the information on a certain file is, ask her the question right back, "Where do you think it would be Jen?" or maybe "Where could you look first/second?" Teaching your team how to gather information and in turn answer their own questions will empower them. This skill may take longer to learn initially, but in the long run it will give you precious, uninterrupted time.

Objection #2: "I don't want to delegate because if the project fails to meet company standards, it's my tail on the line. I'd rather do it myself to ensure the project gets done correctly."

First, choose someone who is qualified and provide him/her with any necessary tools to complete the task. Check on their progress halfway between the time you delegated it and the completion date. If the request or project is long term, check in at least once a month. Finally, set up a date and time when your "in-progress" meeting will take place. This way the person to whom the project has been delegated has a clear understanding of when you expect a progress update and you will have scheduled the time to touch base and monitor the projects progress. Remember You retain the responsibility for that which you delegate. So, if you delegate a project and fail to communicate and check the progress of the project in a timely manner, you are responsible should that project lag behind the expected due date or not meet quality standards.

Objection #3: "My people aren't ready to take on any projects, they have no experience in this project, they've never done anything like this before."

If you want your company to grow, then the people in the company have to step up and grow along with it! Without growth, everything is vulnerable of becoming stale. Believe in your team and they may surprise you! If you expect your people to be great, they will be. If you anticipate problems and failure, you'll get problems and failure. I have a friend who owns a successful custom shed business in the San Francisco Bay-area. As he prepared to open a new showroom he informed his support staff of his choice for general manager of the new store. Many people were surprised and some were frankly a little nervous because of this person's lack of experience. My friend's reply was, "I'll never know and my new lead guy will never know unless given the chance to see what he can do." Don't wait around for the perfect person to come around; create one, delegate to them, and coach them!

Finally, do not forget to acknowledge a job well done. Be generous with your praise and say "thank you". People will work harder for recognition and praise than a paycheck. I challenge you to sit down and decide what projects you can delegate today. Who knows your next superstar could be sitting down the hall, just waiting for the chance to show you what they can produce!

Clay S. Nelson, the founder of Consulting Services Network LLC, and his team are committed to putting fun, family and financial freedom into everyones business and personallives. With over two decades of experience coaching business leaders in creating life balance, building teams, and writing plans, their programs are designed to alter the culturesof companies and families. They make a powerful and lasting difference with each person they meet, every group they speak with, and with every client they serve.

Visit the Consulting Services Network LLC Website

Learn more about Coaching with Clay S. Nelson

Learn more about the Personal Planning Workshop

Contact Consulting Services Network LLC

Information Request

More Articles by Clay S. Nelson

Site Sponsors