There are tons of articles for leaders on delegating.  Yet there isn’t much information on how to work with someone who doesn’t delegate, and really needs to. Whether you are the leader who works or the staff member who reports to manager who doesn’t delegate there are tools to help you navigate working with them.

Do you recognize any of these people?

– “I have so much to do and not enough time to do it”

– “I have to handle everything myself because it will come back to me and I’ll have to fix it anyhow”

– “Take over this project and let me tell you how you should handle it”

– “Can you tell me the status of the project?”  And again the next day and two days later the same question.

– Right at the end of the project “I’m not happy with the results or direction or I want to change something”

– And the list goes on….

So what do you do when you work for someone who won’t delegate?

– Realize they may not recognize themselves.  Lots of leaders I work with believe they delegate and don’t realize they aren’t.  They delegate the task but not the authority or they delegate only when it’s absolutely positively necessary as they have run out of time.  Many managers think they delegate but don’t and they likely don’t realize it.

– Understand their reaction may be fear-based.  They may be afraid it won’t be handled properly and will end up back in their lap, or they fear being judged if it isn’t done well.  You can’t ignore their fear as it’s real to them. You can help them move through it though through a couple of techniques.

How to work with someone who doesn’t delegate.

1. Ask for a small project/task where you can’t fail.  When you demonstrate that you can handle a project successfully they are more likely to give you something else in the future, and something bigger.

2. Include them in your thought process and decision-making throughout the project.  Explain what you are thinking and how you will approach the task.  If appropriate provide an outline of what, when and how you are going to handle.  As they learn how you think and approach a project they will get more comfortable and trust in your abilities.

3. Keep the lines of communication going.  Build-in regular points of communication about the status of the project and any challenges you are running into and how you are handling so they aren’t blind-sighted. Don’t wait for them to ask, stay ahead of this and keep them informed.

4. Debrief at the end to get their perspective on the process and results. Success breeds success.  If they are happy with the process and results you can expect them to find it easier to delegate again in the future. On the other hand, if they have concerns or comments you need to know.

Instead of complaining to others about your boss who doesn’t delegate or delegates and micro-manages the whole process put yourself in their shoes.  What might be getting in the way of them delegating? How can you help them gain trust in you to handle something to their satisfaction? The more often you can demonstrate your willingness to be responsible for a project, and do it well the greater the chance that in the future you will have more opportunities to do just that.