Great Leaders Delegate & Here’s Why!
- Denise Scotti-Smith
- Jan 8, 2013
- 3 min read
If you're a leader who chooses not to delegate to others, there is a good chance that you're not as useful to your employer as you think! Supervisors use many excuses not to share the workload, but at the heart of all of them is a leader who underestimates the extent to which the benefits of delegating outweigh the short-term costs. Supervisors who don't delegate waste the organization's time and money and don't optimally promote the organization's strategic objectives.
Why don't supervisors delegate? Some are just "control freaks" and others calculate that it's easier for them to "do it themselves" than to take the time to explain what needs to be done and then provide corrections if needed. They may even feel threatened that someone may learn their responsibilities, rendering them less valuable to the organization. They may just feel that their ability to perform specific tasks gives them status and puts them in their comfort zone. Whatever the reasons and excuses, when a supervisor fails to delegate, they miss great business opportunities! We'll explore the top five strategic reasons why you should delegate to those around you and tips to help you avoid "delegation mistakes".
The Strategic Case for Delegating
Delegating to others minimizes unnecessary costs spent in your absence.
Your employer doesn't have to have an unseasoned person make costly mistakes performing tasks in your absence.
An employee can perform aspects of your job when you're unavailable (unexpected medical leave, vacations, emergencies).
2. Delegating advances your organization's succession plan.
If you aren't training others around you to do your job, then you aren't helping to build a pipeline of talent that your employer may need to draw upon to fill vacancies. This may limit opportunities to expand the business and /or promote you.
3. Delegation is a time management strategy.
As you share the workload, you'll have more time to work on proactive activities that help the organization advance its strategic goals.
4. Delegation allows all tasks to become learning opportunities.
Research consistently shows that employees perform best when engaged, learning new skills, and given autonomy.
In the training context, employees can feel comfortable taking risks and making mistakes, ultimately leading to an increased skill set.
When you delegate, you can identify strengths and weaknesses, which allow for the development of goals to improve.
Employee morale and respect for you as a credible leader increase.
Mistakes to Avoid when Delegating
If supervisors delegate ineffectively, they can have a negative impact on morale and the business. Supervisors should be careful to avoid mistakes by heeding the following advice:
1. Don't hold employees accountable for tasks they haven't been trained to accomplish.
Remember that the art of delegating consists of teaching and letting people grow in a supportive environment, not giving people enough "rope to hang themselves."
Reward the learning process versus just the outcome. Reward an employee's desire to learn new skills. If they are punished for making mistakes, their innovation and motivation can be suppressed.
2. Don't play favorites when delegating to employees.
This can support a claim that an employee was discriminated against in their training opportunities, affecting whether they could be promoted.
This can negatively impact the morale of other employees.
3. Effectively explain how the employee and the organization benefit from delegating to the employee.
A supervisor can harm morale by making the employee feel that they aren't being compensated for doing more work. Supervisors must be able to effectively communicate the big picture with "what's in it for the employee" delineated.
Work with the employee during the performance evaluation to identify professional goals and skills to help them achieve them.
To reap the benefits of delegating to others, it's important to have an organizational culture that supports the time allotted and tolerance of mistakes that must accompany the learning process. All leaders need to be on the same page so that they can prioritize and decide which if any, short-term projects need to be sacrificed to achieve the long-term goals. The organization has to reward both the outcomes of the job performance and the process used to achieve those outcomes.
Although delegating to those around you can be time-consuming at first, the benefits are enormous! Delegating to others is a powerful way to develop those around you, manage your time, and increase efficient operations. By developing those around you, you gain valuable time to be proactive and advance the strategic direction of your organization. Delegating your job tasks to others will actually increase your value as a strategic partner to your employer!
©Denise Scotti-Smith 2021. All Rights Reserved.
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