Delegation: The Mindset + Methods
Delegation is not as easy as “just hand it off”. In fact our challenges around delegation are complex.
My friend and colleague Annalise recently posted about this complexity and the teeter-totter nature of how delegation can go wrong by dipping into micromanaging (too much) or disengaging (too little).
How do leaders get to the Goldilocks (just right) equilibrium in delegating?
It takes both a Mindset shift and commitment to Methods that support it.
Mindset Awareness + Shifts
Leaders often have underlying needs—sometimes competing and unacknowledged—that get in the way of delegating. They sense they will pay a price if they don’t delegate AND they may pay a price if they do.
Here are 3 needs that can stand between us and getting the monkeys off our backs:
Need to be liked
Underlying belief: if I add more to my peoples’ plates they’ll feel burdened and resent me/not like me
Impact: People pleasing and approval seeking will keep stuff on your plate and will rob others of the opportunity to learn and grow
Need for control
Underlying belief: I’ve done this thing well for many years; my reputation and identity depend on it and I can’t let go of the satisfaction that comes with doing it.
Impact: Micromanaging your people, which will annoy the heck out of them + robbing YOU of the opportunity to get out from under the tacticals and on to the strategery.
Need to be right
Underlying belief: I’m the leader so I must have all the answers and solve all the problems. I know the endpoint and all the steps to get there and I share these freely.
Impact: This leaves nothing to the imagination of your people which keeps them dependent on you and stagnant in their growth. It’s unfun for them and has you working double time.
The Shift
Building your mind muscles takes intention and a bit of practice. Tto start try these 2 easy steps:
Recognize the core need(s) at the source of your unwillingness to delegate. So pay attention to your internals:
What’s preventing me from handing this off?
What’s REALLY preventing me from doing it? And listen to what you hear.
As you move into November pick one thing you do that someone else could do @ least 80% as well as you (Hat tip: John Maxwell)
Pick something that would bring you a sense of spaciousness to close out the year
The Methods
Here are two crucial structures that make delegation stick. As Annalise says, it keeps leaders in the happy equilibrium “where clarity and autonomy grow together.”
Make clear requests
Clear requests are… well clear. When you delegate something to someone, confirm you’re on the same page:
What does ‘done’ look like to you?
By when will it be done?
What support do you need from me?
Track progress
Agree to how you will track progress and stick to it. When you ask if the project is on track and they say yes or no, ask them: “How do you know?” This gives you the real scoop on their progress and opens up the dialog. Always ask how you can support them and let them tell you.
For a slew of reasons, delegation is not easy. It often feels like more work than just doing the thing ourselves. But we pay a price for this—in our peoples’ growth and our own. So go do it. Today. Let one thing go and experience the gloriousness of it.