You aren't as good at delegating as you think
Time for some hard truths.
When it comes to “sharing the load”—do you truly believe in your team’s capabilities...or are they producing lackluster work because they know you’ll eventually just do it yourself?
You want the best for your company—but do you inspire your team to do and bring their best?
Most of the time, we’re the ones in charge because we like to be. But sometimes in our effort to lead, we grip too tightly and end up micromanaging...everything...which leaves everyone (including you!) feeling overwhelmed, overworked, and underappreciated.
A true manager manages it all—the workload, the expectations, the people. A good manager is able to provide perspective for how all of the pieces of the puzzle fit together and lets everyone do their part.
If you put yourself in the middle of everything all of the time, you’re not just preventing your team from doing their jobs, you are missing tons of opportunities for growth—for them and for you.
So how do you do that? Here are my top tips for how to delegate like a badass:
Put the right butt in the right seat. . Explain why you are delegating this task to them specifically— it is not simply to lighten your load or to pass something off that you don’t want to do. Make sure they understand it is because you believe in their abilities and that they have the skillset to achieve greatness. This simple act not only conveys trust, but it also helps sustain it. (Read this article for more trust-building tips)
Don’t be afraid to have hard conversations. The only way for people to get better is to learn from their mistakes. If they aren’t given constructive feedback, or if you simply fix it for them, they’ll get stuck. And all too often, you’ll start to avoid giving them projects—or they’ll avoid trying—because you’ll “only end up doing it anyway”. Show them what works and what can be better and (lightly!) advise them on how to get there.
Appreciate the work that has been done. People want to feel validated. They like knowing you can rely on them. They want to contribute to the overall success of a project. As Chris Kolenda, who’s speaking to our Cohort in an upcoming meeting, notes—the key to keeping your team engaged is putting people in a position to succeed.
Practice. Practice. Practice. It is not easy to hand over the reins sometimes. It might not be faster, more efficient, or approached in the same way—and that’s okay! There’s always room for improvement—and this includes your ability to describe what you want and how you train. Remember—you are both learning here. Be honest about it—and make sure that door swings both ways.
The bottom line is when you hire the right people, they’ll make you look good—but only if you let them.
SO LET THEM.