Why do I find it hard to delegate? To pass work over to staff or outsource…

Lots of reasons, but a biggie for me is because I think the work won’t be done quite right.

This is not arrogance or me being a control freak. If I really listen to myself, there’s a niggle there.

There’s a genuine concern about something important that will be missed.

I’ve built what I’ve built and yes, I want help to keep building, but I don’t want someone else to pull it down by missing something key that I would have just known to do/not do.

Solution?
I’ve found what helps is to:
▫ NOT sweep aside my concerns or tell myself not to be a control freak – instead listen to myself
Ask myself:
▫ What is my actual concern here? What do I think might go wrong?
▫ What essential knowledge/skill would another person need so that the concern is covered?
▫ Can I articulate that knowledge/skill and work out a way to indicate whether it is being applied?
▫ What exact expectations need to be communicated, or what do I need to teach when I delegate this work so that my concern is handled?

Often we don’t delegate because a portion of what we’re delegating is complex, has exceptions.
Stop and analyse those exceptions:
▫ What exactly is it that is different or variable about this task?
▫ Can you teach another person to recognise those exceptions and work out what to do?
▫ What are the underlying principles that you keep to as you do this work and manage the variations?
▫ Work out those principles and teach them to your people.
▫ Share them when you outline the expected outcomes for the task.
▫ When you have discussed the task, stop and review for clarity – have they heard what you think they should have heard? At this point reiterate the outcomes and the key principles that go with this work.

e.g. You want them to write some new documentation for a customer, but you’re not sure that they will grasp the subtle needs of that customer entirely, so it’s easier for you to do most of the work and just leave them to review it.

But could you try teaching them what you do when you consider those subtleties – what is the process that you go through when you do this… stop and think – if you can do it, isn’t it possible for this other person to learn to do it too?

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Harrowfield draws on the disciplines of organisational and behavioural psychology to provide fit-for-purpose training in human skills that build workplace capability and confidence.

Harrowfield People Development, a strategic learning agency.

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