Delegation Can Be Hard and It’s an Important Skill

Oprah Winfrey asks, “Are we limiting our success by not mastering the art of delegation?... It’s simply a matter of preparation meeting opportunity.”

Delegation is not a skill that comes naturally to most. It’s not most people’s superpower. For me personally, my superpower has been being able to work out practical solutions, often in my head, and then getting it down on paper. Delegation, on the other hand, is a skill that requires me to practice to become proficient.

When I reflect on the construction industry, I realize that, without effective delegation, our projects would never get finished. The first step in building the skill of effective delegation is to determine if you have a delegation issue. Here are 10 ways to know if you have a delegation challenge:

1. You joke about being a “control freak” (but secretly know that it’s true).

2. You worry about being seen as dispensable or replaceable.

3. Everything feels urgent.

4. You find yourself stuck in the tiny details.

5. You have mastery of and comfort with your tasks.

6. You hoard work.

7. Performance reviews identify “needs to delegate more” as an area for improvement.

8. You need the rush of adrenaline.

9. Thinking about delegation gives you hives.

10. Your team members repeatedly ask if there’s something they can take off your plate.

The most frequent comment I hear when working with leaders and managers about a resistance to delegation is some version of “it will take me longer to explain the task to someone else than if I just do it myself.” That may be true the first or second time that task is delegated. Delegation, though, has multiple benefits. It will allow you to develop your team members by expanding their expertise. And by expanding their roles and responsibilities they feel valued and more engaged.

As a manager, whether managing programs, project teams, or departments, delegation is a time management tool that will allow you to focus on the tasks that only you can do and that provide the greatest value. In those moments when you are wrestling with your calendar and a task, ask yourself “who can and should be doing this?” Like any new skill, it will feel strange and uncomfortable until you develop some mastery and expertise.

I know it’s hard, I have been there too. But the cost on not learning to delegate is just too high.

Michael Riegel

Director, A/E/C Business Strategies

MRiegel@AECBusinessStrategies.com