Everyone knows that a key leadership skill to develop is delegation.  Yet so often the result a leader receives is so far from what they expected that the tendency is to delegate less or micromanage the entire process.  Neither solution helps. You still have a ton of work to do that doesn’t get done if you handle yourself, you still miss focusing on strategies to help move the company forward and you don’t have people you can count on that you feel comfortable delegating to.

When you find yourself shrinking from delegating or continue to get poor outcomes of things you do delegate it is time to step back and examine what you are delegating, to whom you are delegating and how you are delegating.  It’s likely that you are passing along tasks or projects to the wrong people or shouldn’t be delegated at all.

How do you assess if you are delegating the wrong things?

1. Is the task or project is a onetime initiative or won’t need to be handled again for a long time unless it’s incredibly simple, don’t delegate it.   This is one of those times that doing it yourself makes more sense.

2. Consider the implications of failure if not done well.  Is this something that has an impact on revenue, customer satisfaction, significant implications to the company…if yes it may be that you should handle or make sure you are delegating to someone who understands the importance of the project and what to do.

3. How much time is needed before the deadline hits?  Unless you are confident about the capabilities of the person to whom you are delegating, make sure you have enough time before the deadline for corrections and redos.

4. Consider your schedule.  Do you have enough time to adequately explain what needs to be done, the why and ensure it’s understood?  Are you going to be available for questions and as a resource?

5. Why are you delegating this task or project?  Is this to help someone develop and learn or because you don’t want to handle it?  If the former and have considered 1 – 4 above before making the decision?

But even if you delegate the right task you may be delegating to the wrong person.  How do you determine who to delegate to and what to delegate to them?

Go back and read items 1 – 5 above.  The same should be considered when you are determining who to delegate to. Don’t give your most critical project as a learning opportunity, this isn’t the time to focus on their development.  Ask yourself if the person has previously demonstrated the skills you need to successfully complete the project. Do they need critical thinking skills, the ability to make quick and difficult decisions, an ability to rally a team or work with others in the organization that need to be involved…?  

What skills and experience do you need for success and does the person you are considering have those skills?  What size and scope of projects have they previously handled and how critical were they?

Often we ask the person who is available rather than ensuring we have the best person for the job.  That is likely to get you in trouble more often than not.

Bottom line…take the time upfront to assess what needs to be done and who is the best man or woman for the role.  You’ll save yourself and others a lot of frustration and angst. And get results that you want.