Finding it hard to delegate? Find out why...and what you can do about it
Delegation Of Authority
Delegation decision-making can be complex. Who do I assign tasks to? When do I delegate? Which jobs can I pass on to team members? Who can best complete the task?
In my work with people in leadership roles, I often come across confusion and indecision on this topic. Hidden psychological issues often account for delegation hesitancy. These barriers makes a delegating leadership style tough to implement in practice.
I discuss the following topics in this article:
Delegate in a sentence
What is delegation? To delegate is:
‘To give part of your work, power or authority to somebody in a lower position than you’ (1)
This definition gives us some clues as to what might drive a reluctance to delegate. For instance, giving up a degree of control can trigger anxiety. Framing this process as delegating ‘responsibility’ or delegating ‘authority’ suggests releasing too much control.
My clients are usually aware of delegation reluctance but can't understand their resistance. They are all too aware of the adverse effects arising from non-delegation but feel powerless to change their ways.
Why don’t I delegate?
You can learn to delegate more effectively. First, you need to understand what is contributing to current hesitency.
While there are many potential reasons for this issue, the following four reasons appear most frequently in my work.
'I must show value'
Team leaders sometimes undervalue their contribution to a team and the broader organisation. They might assume that managing and leadership tasks are not as important as 'doing things'. They believe that other staff perform tasks of more obvious tangible value.
By holding on to specific tasks, they can try and prove to themselves and the organisation that they have value over and above chairing meetings or developing team culture.
'I sense the glare of evaluation'
I often work with socially anxious people in my clinical work. This problem manifests as a diagnosable condition in more severe cases. Many people in the workplace (and in life) experience a less severe, but still unhelpful dose of this problem. The fear of negative evaluation by others often drives this anxiety.
Managers in this situation may be reluctant to delegate through fear that it will lead to criticism: 'He's passing off his responsibilities', 'She's treating me unfairly' and so on.
'I predict a disaster'
A tendency to predict extreme adverse outcomes or events is known as 'catastrophising'.
A botched presentation being 'a bit embarrassing' becomes 'the end of my career'. Some managers (perhaps unconsciously) take responsibility for tasks in an attempt to avert disaster. Often this catastrophic outcome is unspecified, and there is a non-specific sense of dread that blocks appropriate delegation.
The ironic consequences are often impaired performance, more stress, and increased risk of errors.
'I need to look out for my team'
Some managers identify with a protective style of leadership.
Concerned about staff welfare and preventing an excessive workload burden, some managers will hold on to tasks rather than distributing them to a staff member.
However, unintended negative consequences can result from this strategy. One is that the overloaded manager sends mixed messages about well-being ('I don't look after myself, but you should'). Another implication is that staff might lack sufficient challenges or opportunities for professional development.
‘I don’t have time’
Many leaders assume that the process of delegation is time-consuming. Short-term focus on disadvantages of delegation frequently locks people into an ‘easier to do it myself’ mindset. The time-intensive assumption of delegation doesn’t always hold when tested. In addition, investing time in delegation can free-up time in the long run.
Delegate synonym
Delegation synonyms provide some ideas on how to frame this action in a positive way. Here are a couple of examples:
Investiture: This term often prompts images of an elaborate award ceremony. We can also consider the symbolic value of showing faith and confidence in a colleague. My clients often receive positive feedback from team members when they increase delegation. Colleagues frequently report feeling more valued.
Transferring. Passing on tasks provides the chance for skill development and enhanced job satisfaction. In effect, you are encouraging the equitable distribution of opportunities for professional growth.
These examples illustrate the importance of keeping the big picture in mind when leading the long term development of a team.
Delegate model
Theories of delegation can be found in broader theories of leadership and leadership style (e.g., situational leadership). However, William Oncken promoted a hugely popular approach to delegation through Monkey Management. Oncken recommended that leaders should delegate tasks alongside other strategies to minimise ‘subordinate-imposed’ demands.
Another approach is the BALM task allocation model. Here, a four-stage process is recommended:
B: Devise specific tasks that correspond with overarching team goals
A: Analyse the skills required to complete each task successfully
L: List the skills possessed by each team member
M: Match colleagues to identified tasks
This model tends to work best at the onset of new projects. Furthermore, negotiation of roles required where colleagues have specific task preferences.
The delegate
What makes a successful delegator?
The above list is not exhaustive but captures some important psychological drivers of delegation reluctance. The way to intervene with these issues will differ from person to person. However, here are some general suggestions for an effective delegation process:
Identify assumptions behind lack of delegation. You can think of the above categories as capturing a set of unhelpful assumptions. We can do little about them if they remain undetected. Certain questions may help reveal these problematic assumptions: What problems am I trying to prevent by holding on to tasks? What is the worst-case scenario if I delegate more? What 'unofficial' evaluation am I subject to by colleagues? Revealing assumptions directly related to a lack of delegation provides a roadmap for addressing this issue.
Challenge these assumptions directly. Asking for evidence in support of these assumptions is often a good start: What evidence do I have that I am failing to show value? What evidence do I have that I am negatively evaluated? What evidence do I have that disaster will strike if I delegate more often? What evidence do I have that my team needs 'protecting'?
Seek an alternative perspective to break free from narrow views. What is another way to look at this situation (e.g., that staff need me to look after them in this way)? Is this assumption helpful for my performance and well-being? What would I say to a colleague who held this assumption? What are the pros and cons of holding this assumption?
Test out your assumptions. Look for past examples that challenge your thinking. For instance, you could consider positive feedback received.
Run a small experiment. If you are worried that increased delegation will lead to a negative outcome, record your feared prediction, then test it out. Delegate a small number of tasks, then evaluate the result (e.g., seek feedback from staff). Compare the result to your feared prediction. What did you learn from this experiment? Does this reveal positive changes that could be made to your managerial practice?
Do your research. Look at flexible leadership models, such as situational leadership (2). There are many ways to delegate. Considering different leadership styles can provide multiple delegation methods.
Minimise risks. Simple instructions such as ‘please check errors’ can help reduce perceived risk when delegating tasks. Devising simple actions also moves you from worry to action mode.
Summary
There are many other ways to address delegation reluctance. You may get some benefit from the above suggestions but remember that this issue may be tricky to shift. Seeking extra support may be an entirely appropriate strategy to get you moving in a more helpful direction.
We have extensive experience helping people conquer a range of wellbeing and performance issues at home and in the workplace. We can also help with professional issues such as delegation hesitance. Read more about our work or browse other articles. Get in touch anytime.
References
(1) https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/delegate_2
(2) Paul Hersey and Ken Blanchard were responsible for developing the Situational Leadership® model.