Delegating Requires a Mindset Shift
Like most families, over the years we’ve learned to divide and conquer household tasks to stay ahead of the chaos. I usually handle cooking, while my wonderful husband owns grocery shopping.
He’s truly a shopping marvel. That man won’t rest until he has located the hard-to-find detergent, the gluten-free tamari, the good heavy cream… check, check, and check.
But produce? Well, that’s where it all falls apart (I sometimes wonder if he is shopping blindfolded).
For example, why do my apples always look like they’ve been thrown from the back of a truck and stomped on by a pack of third graders? It’s so bad, that in our house, we lovingly call them “crapples.”
Could I do a better job? No question. But does that mean I should take back all the shopping? Absolutely not. A few sad apples are a small price to pay for not having to do everything myself.
And that, in a nutshell, is the fundamental tradeoff with delegation, whether at home or as a business leader: While you can do many things better than those on your team, if you demand perfection or insist on everything being done your way, you’ll never get to your highest-impact work — the work only you can do.
Why is Delegating So Hard?
The answer varies by individual, but it tends to come down to one (or more) of the following:
#1. Trust.
I’m not confident it’s going to measure up.
What they’re really thinking is: How do I know this will be done to my standards?They fear they’ll either have to redo the work themselves or deal with the consequences of it falling short.
My client Sarah tried to hand off the first pass of the board deck to her Director of Finance. But instead of truly letting go, she nitpicked every detail — down to the font size! That’s not delegation; that’s simply involving someone else while still holding full control. All that does is reinforce the belief that no one else can “get it right.”
#2. Time.
It’s just easier and faster if I do it myself.
In the beginning, that’s probably true; delegation does take more time upfront. It requires explaining context, answering questions, providing guidance, and more.
But while you might gain some short-term efficiencies by holding on, it comes at the expense of building long-term capabilities. Every time you choose speed over developing someone, you (once again) reinforce the belief you’re the only one who can do the work.
#3. Empathy… and guilt.
I don’t want to dump and run!
Many leaders worry that by dumping more work on already busy people, they will overwhelm their team, leading to burnout or reduced morale. So they take it on themselves, quietly (and sometimes crankily) absorbing the load.
It Starts With a Mindshift
All in all, the three concerns above point to the difficulties inherent in delegation. At the beginning, at least, the results are inferior, the time investment is greater, and the degree of control is reduced.
Seen through that lens, it’s no wonder delegation can feel like a losing proposition. But the issue isn’t delegation itself… it’s how we’re thinking about it.
Fundamentally, delegation isn’t about handing off tasks. It’s about building the long-term capabilities of your team by developing your people. Every assignment is an opportunity to help someone grow. (If you can match work to both capability and motivation, that’s even better.)
Make sure, too, that your people understand the investment you are making in their development, something that helps with both engagement and retention.
Recommendations for delegating effectively…
Be Clear About What Good Looks Like
Most delegation attempts fail because the expectations aren’t explicit — they stay in the leader’s head. So tell your people, up front, what success looks like:
What’s the definition of “good?”
What are some deal breakers in how this is accomplished?
What matters most about this assignment?
How does this work contribute to your goals or the goals of the team/organization?
This kind of clarity replaces guesswork and builds confidence on both sides.
Delegate Ownership, Not Just Tasks
Try to move from, “Can you help with this?” (aka, take this off my plate) to, “I’m handing this area over; you own this.”
When people own the outcomes and not just the activity, they grow faster, think at new levels, and probably like their jobs better.
Align on Milestones
Structure touchpoints in advance (put them on the calendar). This way, you can stay informed without hovering or randomly calling when your worry meter goes off. This creates alignment and allows you to let go of any concerns about not knowing where things stand.
Stay Available But… Don’t Rescue People
Your role needs to shift from doer to coach — someone who is there to answer questions, offer perspective, remove obstacles, and help think through options. If you take back the work, you won’t see real growth happen.
Development doesn’t come from one big conversation. It comes from small, consistent moments of guidance over time. When you stay present without stepping in, you give your team the space to think, learn, and build confidence. Over time, they need you less and less.
Choose Growth
Every delegation opportunity comes with its own share of crapples — results that are “sort of good,” if not quite the way you would have done it.
But if you can resist the urge to jump in and fix things — letting good enough be good enough — you’ll give yourself, your organization, and your people what is needed most: the chance for them to grow and contribute.