Episode Two: How to be effective at delegating

In the first episode of our series about mastering the core competencies of Leadership 3.0, we explored the significance of Emotional Intelligence. Now let’s turn our attention to one of the biggest problems I hear all the time from leaders - I just don’t have enough time.

In Episode Two of Leadership 3.0, we are delving into another crucial aspect of Leadership - effective delegation. By mastering this skill, leaders can manage their workload more efficiently and create opportunities for team growth and strategic thinking.

A leadership coach I worked with a few years ago once said to me: By not delegating your work well enough, you are preventing other people in your team from becoming better leaders - and he was absolutely right.

It’s a tough lesson to learn, but here are some powerful reasons why you should heed his advice.

Employee Disengagement: Gallup research shows that managers who fail to delegate effectively cause a disengagement rate of 18% among their employees which leads to higher staff turnover and lower job satisfaction

Reference: Gallup (2015) State of the American Manager: Analytics and Advice for Leaders.

Decreased Productivity: A recent study found that executives spend 57% of their time on tasks that could be delegated, leading to inefficiencies and reduced productivity.

Reference: American Management Association (2018) Delegation and Time Management Survey

Increased Stress and Burnout: A Deloitte report highlights that leaders who do not delegate effectively experience higher levels of stress and burnout.

Reference: Deloitte (2020) Workplace Burnout Survey.

One word I want to highlight here is effectively. I once thought I had delegated an important project to one of my managers, only to find myself getting increasingly frustrated with him because of the lack of progress in implementing the plans.

When I said to him that I thought I had delegated this to him to get on with, his reply was: “You didn’t delegate it, you abandoned it to me”.

What he meant was that I had moved it off my desk but hadn’t provided any support for him to work out how to run the project, be a listening ear and a source of advice for him.

And of course he was right. It is a common problem I see in many organisations I work with.

So here are five tips on how to be an effective delegator.

1. Understand What to Delegate

One of the first steps in effective delegation is identifying tasks that can be handed over to others. This can include routine tasks that others can do better, tasks that provide learning opportunities for team members or those tasks that can be set aside for a later date. For this, I use the Eisenhower Matrix where you can do this.

• Urgent and Important - do these tasks immediately

• Important but not Urgent - Schedule these tasks

• Urgent, but not Important: Delegate these tasks

• Not Urgent, Not Important: Eliminate these tasks or do them a lot later

2. Choose the Right Person for the task

Delegation is not just about offloading work but also about empowering your team. Assign tasks based on individual strengths, skills and interests. This ensures tasks are handled efficiently and team members feel valued.

This will help you to build their leadership competencies

It will increase their sense of engagement

And it will mean you have more time to be more strategic.

3. Communicate Clearly

When you are delegating, it is essential to have clear communication about what your expectations are.

Explain the task thoroughly, including your expectations. Use the SMART model for this.

Provide the necessary resources and support

Set clear deadlines

Ensure there are check-in opportunities for them to seek advice and for you to provide further support.

4. Apply the Theory of Monkey Management

William Oncken Jr and Donald L Wass are the authors of a concept called monkey management where the “monkey” represents the next move in a task or a problem. (More on this in the next episode)

How many times have you as a leader been presented with a problem by a member of your team and you have said leave it with me and I’ll sort it for you. This is a classic case of the employee shifting the monkey on their back onto yours. To effectively manage your workload, you need to ensure the monkey stays at the lowest possible level of seniority in the business. By:

• Empowering the employee to take ownership of the problem and find solutions

• Providing guidance and resources but resist taking over the problem

• Encourage the to return with proposed solutions rather than just problems and repeat this process until the problem is resolved

5. Give Feedback and Recognition

After the task is completed, provide constructive feedback. Acknowledge their efforts and success, which can motivate and encourage your team. If there are areas for improvement, be sure to discuss them and provide guidance on how to address them.

As Peter Drucker has said: “No executive has ever suffered because his subordinates were strong and effective.”

So invest in your team. Build their competencies and you will become a more effective leader.

If you would like to find out more about the Leadership 3.0 Framework or go deeper into any of the leadership competencies in this series, then contact me.

Photo by Alexander Lyashkov on Unsplash