Delegation Part 1: Why Won’t Leaders Delegate?

Delegation is absolutely crucial to success in management and leadership roles. By the time a person ascends to a leadership position, they should be a masterful delegator, but it’s simply not the case. Why is that?

Some leaders view delegation as a matter of time management: the handing off of assignments or projects to staff members to free up their own time for strategic planning and decision making. However, there’s so much more to delegation than that.

An organization where leaders and managers delegate freely is one where people are being challenged, growing their skills, workloads are more balanced and the best ideas and approaches have a real chance of being implemented.

With such myriad benefits it’s no wonder delegation is a recognized prime leadership skill that many leaders are often asked to do more of. So why don’t they? What stands in the way?

Common Reasons for Not Delegating

Here are some commonly stated reasons for not delegating tasks to team members:

The lack of team capability: Nobody else on the team knows how to do the work, so leaders keep taking it on themselves.
A belief that team members aren’t “up to it:” Some leaders have little faith or trust in their team. They believe team members are incapable of ever doing the job correctly or are unenthusiastic about taking on new tasks.
Enjoyment of the work: Leaders sometimes like doing the work themselves so much they choose not to delegate it.
Perceptions of laziness: Occasionally leaders worry that delegation may make them appear unwilling to roll their own sleeves up in the eyes of their staff and their superiors. This concern leads them to do the work themselves.
Team members are too busy: When the staff appears to be overloaded, it can seem harsh to throw even more work at them.
Team members refuse the work: Every so often team members will simply refuse to accept delegated tasks, citing reasons such as being too busy, unable to do the job or feeling it’s not within their job description. This experience can be enough to discourage some leaders and managers from further delegating.
Fear of losing control: Delegation often requires letting go and trusting others to do the job. Giving up control is a daunting prospect for many leaders.
Not getting credit: When a leader craves personal praise over team praise, they may decide to delegate less than they should.
Being delegated out of their job: Some leaders worry that they could delegate themselves out of their job when the people assigned the tasks do it better than they could. This insecurity is rooted in a me-centric rather than team-centric viewpoint.

What Happens When Delegation is Not Done Effectively?

Ineffective delegation could lead to decreased productivity, lower employee morale, and slower organizational growth. For these reasons and more, it’s crucial for leaders to develop effective delegation skills to ensure the success of their organization and to avoid real problems such as these below.

Stress and Burnout: Managers without delegation skills can find themselves overloaded, stressed, and ultimately burned out.
Talent Flight: A lack of delegation can drive employees away from a company as they seek out employers who will provide them with ways to improve and grow their skills and careers.
Lack of Trust: The implied lack of trust engendered by the absence of delegation can have an across-the-board detrimental effect on an organization. When a manager won’t delegate responsibilities, it sends the team a message that they’re not trusted enough to complete specific tasks. Even if that’s not the intention, it may be interpreted that way especially by the ambitious and driven – the very people companies want to keep.
Stifling Initiative: Not delegating can stifle innovation and creativity. It goes without saying that leaders don’t always have the best ideas. Designating different tasks to team members encourages them to contribute and take a fresh approach. Others witnessing the new approach may be inspired to bring forth their own ideas, which can beget an upward spiral of innovation.

Additionally, delegation is an excellent way to see what areas employees shine in and where they need to grow. Knowing this can help to optimize an organization’s performance in the long run.

How Should a Leader Get Started in Delegating More?

Learning to delegate, like any other business skill, can be mastered through knowledge and diligent application. Anyone who feels challenged about delegating can follow these tips to start moving in the right direction.

List out the tasks that can be delegated. By taking 15 – 20 minutes of quiet time, a leader can create a list of the various tasks they could delegate with varying degrees of autonomy. A next step would be to note which will require training, mentoring and/or more oversight if delegated to get clarity on how the leader should best approach each one.

Start with tasks the leader is able to do proficiently and quickly. While this may seem counter-intuitive, these are the tasks the leader is best suited to teach others. Look for tasks that take 30 minutes or less. When such tasks are delegated, focus on sharing tips and tricks to get it done faster that have come to be known and developed over time. This way the person being delegated to can come up to speed more quickly and confidently in handling the task.

Belief that someone may be able to do it better: Accepting that others may be better at something and even reveling in that belief can be liberating. This tip may require putting a strong ego aside and trusting more in the team’s capacity to rise to the challenge. A side benefit is that this attitude will go a long way towards building a better and more loyal team.

Choose the right person for the job: Not every person is the right fit for a particular job. This is not just alluding to the fact that some may need more training. There’s also the reality that some are more enthusiastic than others regarding certain types of work. When the aptitude and attitude are in alignment, great things can happen. A person’s stress level in relation to their current workload is probably worth taking into account as well.
Be encouraging and grateful: There is nothing worse than a team that feels underappreciated. When a staff member performs a delegated task well, they should be thanked sincerely for their work. Similarly, one should be encouraged during the learning process as they come up to speed.
Schedule ongoing check-ins and reviews: For more challenging tasks and projects, time should be scheduled regularly to check-in on progress. These should be open discussions where challenges can be shared without hesitation and additional training, mentoring and access to resources can be offered.

By implementing the ideas above, delegation will grow and accordingly, so will trust. Delegation tells team members the leader trusts their skills, dedication, and judgment when it comes to getting the task done correctly. In a previous post, we cover in detail the critical importance of building trust in the workplace. That article may prove complementary to this one.

In summary:

Good leaders are solid delegators. The reasons why leaders don’t delegate are myriad and oftentimes multi-layered. It is hoped that this article will create some insights and help break down what’s happening and what to do differently.

Read part 2 of this series, “Delegation Part 2: Delegation Best Practices”

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If you’re a leader or manager who feels challenged by delegating tasks or responsibilities, contact us to learn how personalized executive coaching services may help you accelerate your effectiveness in this crucial area of leadership. Schedule a meeting through our calendar or send us a message via our contact form.

A popular adage states that “simple is better than complex,” and that wisdom certainly applies to business operations, read our article on “6 Ways to Simplify Your Business Model.” If you’re looking for more articles about delegation, also read our article, “To Lead Effectively, Learn to Delegate Well.”