The idiom “It’s Do or Die” refers to a determined and sometimes reckless effort to succeed. I’ve yet to meet a leader who has enough time and resources to get ALL those important projects completed. But we’ve all been trained to just do it and get it done, no matter what the challenge, the work has to get done. Otherwise we won’t be successful. However this can be counterintuitive with the principles of delegating.
Do you delegate as much as you should? While the statement do or die may seem a bit dramatic, delegation should be treated with the same single-minded focus you put into getting it done. You can’t possibly be an effective leader unless you learn how to delegate, it’s ultimately the essence of leadership success.
Why do so many people struggle with delegation? My clients share a myriad of reasons. I want to dispel the top five myths I hear:
1. I don’t have time to train someone. We all have the same amount of time and I’ve never heard anyone complain about having too much time. The time you take now to train someone will pay off in the long run when these projects are off your plate and onto someone else’s plate. Instead of doing the task, take the time to train someone else to do it for you.
2. No one else can do it as well as I do it. This is a learning opportunity for your team. If you are doing or re-doing the work your direct reports aren’t learning. In fact they may feel dissatisfied since you don’t give them opportunities to work on new projects. And if you are constantly redoing their work you’ve missed an important coaching opportunity. Help establish best practices for these tasks and work with your team members so they can learn from you.
3. No one else can do it the way I do it. It’s time to realize that no two people have the same approach. The focus should be on the outcome and not on the process or the path to get there. Let your team spread their wings and try new and different approaches. Your job is to remove obstacles and help them keep their focus on achieving the ultimate goal.
4. I can do it faster than someone else can do it. That may be true but you can’t do it all, it’s simply not sustainable. Set realistic timeframes and help your team prioritize the important tasks first. Once again remove obstacles and continue to coach them to reach the end goal.
5. I feel bad giving my direct reports menial tasks. These tasks may seem menial to you but you are putting your faith in your team and providing them with additional responsibilities and challenges. They will welcome the opportunity to take on new tasks or projects.
Are you convinced? There is no need to die over this. Chose the top three to five task or projects you need to delegate and do it today!
Please check my upcoming blog for a worksheet that will help you create your personal delegation plan.
Sage Alliance, a Leadership Performance Company, provides coaching, teambuilding and assessments, workshops and speaking on topics including; leadership development, empowering teams, communications, lasting impressions, personal branding and building a coaching culture for executives and high-potentials – for both team and individual leaders.
Contact us today to discover how your organization can get the most through improved productivity, efficiency and direct impact to your bottom line, while leaders gain powerful insight, crystallize opportunities for growth and fine tune their strengths, enabling them to make the greatest impact. You can contact Shelley Hammell directly at shammell@thesagealliance.com.