Delegate Like a Pro
Do you ever feel like you’re spinning too many plates at work while your team seems to be moving to a different rhythm?
Mastering the art of delegation can completely transform your leadership style and how effectively you are working.
Often we can find ourselves torn between doing it all ourselves and entrusting tasks to others. There’s the worry about losing control or guilt over asking someone else to do something you could handle yourself. Do you sometimes also enjoy that little feeling inside you that you are a bit of a superhero mastering everything? And how do you feel about managing people more qualified than you?
But reframe your thinking- delegation isn’t shirking responsibility or losing control, it’s giving others the chance to learn, grow, and shine. Delegating enables you to focus your energy where it matters most, while you do the job you are supposed to be doing- leading!
Here’s how to do it effectively and without guilt.
1. Set the Stage with Clarity
When you delegate, clarity is everything. Ambiguity leads to missteps and frustration for both you and your team.
Define the Outcome: Be specific about what success looks like. I tailor my guidance based on the experience of the individual. For those less familiar with the task, I provide clear, detailed instructions. For instance, rather than saying, “Prepare a presentation for the next quarterly staff meeting,” I might specify, “Create a 10-minute presentation summarising our Q3 achievements and challenges.” By contrast, I trust those who regularly deputise for me to approach tasks with greater autonomy.
Provide Context: Explain the why behind the task. Helping your team see the bigger picture enhances their motivation and ownership.
Discuss Expectations: Outline timelines and check-in points.
2. Match Tasks to Team Strengths
Delegation is most effective when aligned with your team’s skills and interests.
Know Your Team: Take time to understand each member’s unique strengths and areas for growth as well as intrinsic motivations (see the article on Motivating Your Team). Giving a task to write a report to someone who loves detail and is a perfectionist could lead them to spend too much time on an activity that could be “good enough” when done to 90% of the quality they would aspire to deliver- will they stress over it?
Stretch Comfort Zones: Assign tasks that challenge individuals just enough to grow without overwhelming them. This builds capability and confidence.
Provide Resources: Equip them with the tools, training, or mentorship they need to succeed. Pair up a junior and senior person to provide learning on the job opportunity and mentoring experience.
3. Empower with Autonomy
Micromanagement: The dreaded word! This word undermines trust and stifles creativity. Instead, set boundaries that give room for innovation.
Give Decision-Making Power: Let your team make decisions within the scope of the task. It shows trust and encourages leadership thinking.
Be Available, Not Overbearing: Make it clear they can approach you with questions but resist the urge to hover.
Encourage Problem-Solving: If they encounter challenges, guide them to brainstorm solutions before stepping in.
Know when you do need to step in and oversee an incoming catastrophe- don’t let your team suffer because the work is too complicated, the team is under resourced or the scope changed (or you under-estimated the task). Leading is also intervening when the course changes significantly.
4. Use the Power of RACI Tools
Understanding who is Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, and Informed (RACI) can transform how you delegate.
Clarify Roles: Clearly distinguish between who is responsible for completing the task and who is accountable for its success. They aren’t the same. I don’t hesitate to say “I am accountable for this, you are responsible, so if it goes wrong I know I will be the one having to face the music”- this reassures the person that they are trusted and not alone.
Involve the Right People: Ensure the right stakeholders are consulted and informed without creating unnecessary bottlenecks.
Simplify Complex Projects: Use the RACI matrix to break down larger tasks and assign roles, avoiding confusion and overlap.
“Effective delegation not only accelerates your team’s development but also enables you to focus on high-impact, strategic work. It ensures you lead with vision, not just execution, and sets the stage for lasting change in our organisations.”
5. Accept Different Approaches
Delegating means letting go of your way of doing things and embracing that others may approach tasks differently.
Focus on the Objective: If the task is completed on time and meets quality expectations, does it matter if someone planned every step or worked best under last-minute pressure?
Respect Individual Styles: Some people block time well in advance, while others thrive on the adrenaline of a looming deadline. Empowering people to work in their preferred style boosts morale and efficiency.
Let Go of Perfection: Your version of “perfect” might not be theirs, but that’s okay. Allowing space for creativity and individuality often leads to unexpected innovation.
6. Provide Feedback
Delegation is a partnership. Feedback helps your team grow and ensures continuous improvement.
Be Specific: Focus on behaviours or outcomes, not personal attributes. For example, “The presentation was well laid out and the client understood your proposal; next time think about adding a case study related to their area to showcase your expertise and experience.”
Balance Positives with Areas for Growth: Highlight what went well and where they can improve. I use the statement “it would be even better if” to provide constructive feedback in a supportive manner.
Tell people you trust them (follow me to read my upcoming article on Building Trust) and mean it. You might have a few butterflies letting them take on a job and build a security net to ensure they are ok, but it’s important to make them feel you trust them to build their confidence.
Make Feedback Timely: Don’t wait too long to provide input, real-time feedback is most impactful. I practice giving it all the time so I don’t feel uncomfortable giving constructive feedback anymore. As long as it’s delivered in a supportive and kind manner, my feedback will help the person grow.
7. Reflect and Adjust
Great leaders continuously refine their delegation approach based on results and team dynamics.
Analyse Outcomes: Did the task achieve its intended goal? What could be done differently next time? Did the person deliver or do you need to revisit their capabilities or bandwidth?
Seek Feedback: Ask your team how they felt about the task and their experience. It builds trust and strengthens your leadership. I use one to one meetings to review delegated activities and ask if this was stretching or stressing for them. Stretching is ok, stressing is categorically not!
Celebrate Successes: Acknowledge and celebrate the wins, big and small. This reinforces positive behaviours and boosts morale.
Remember that you might be able to do the role of a junior person, but is that the role you are (highly?) paid for? Think of the value you would bring to the company if you were delegating to your team, such as being able to focus on high priority tasks. Your time IS money.
Recognise when the team is actually overloaded and you need to lend a hand. In tough times I make sure I am here for the team, I’ve even been known to bring sustenance (pizzas) overnight when an IT incident needed my team to pull out long hours in order to protect my business. Just don’t make it a habit at the expense of what you should be doing.
8. Manage Upwards for Your Growth
Delegation isn’t just about leading your team, it’s also about growing within your organisation.
Take Initiative: Is your boss delegating enough to you? If not, proactively ask to take on some of their responsibilities. This helps you gain new skills and experience while preparing for the next step in your career.
Learn by Doing: Taking on higher-level tasks lets you practice decision-making and strategic thinking required at the next level. It also shows your line manager that you can deliver to the next level and you have the experience to take on new responsibilities.
Succession Planning: Just as you’re preparing for your next role, prepare rising stars in your team to step into your current role. Delegating to them not only builds their confidence but ensures continuity and succession within the team.
