What’s Stopping You from Delegating?

Ten barriers to delegation - and what to do about them

Over recent weeks I’ve been talking about the benefits of delegating, and how to successfully delegate tasks so that you can free up time to work on things that are more important, or that you can add value to. Why is it that we can see how useful delegation is, but at the same time make so many excuses as to why it’s not right in this situation? This week, in the final article on the topic, I look at the barriers we put in place that stop us from utilising this amazing tool - and how to overcome them.

1.  Comfort Zone

• It’s nice to have stuff we like doing – but it’s not an effective use of our time

Much of what you do isn’t routine.  Often having one-off, urgent tasks is stressful.  It’s comforting to have something regular, where perhaps you don’t need to put in quite so much effort. 

What you’re actually doing is using up valuable time that could be better spent.  Allocating time to these comfort tasks, means less time for those other tasks therefore increasing stress.

Are you using the ‘comfort’ task as a procrastination tool, to put off what you know you should really be working on?

• Think about the alternative uses for the time you free up

Each bit of time you gain from delegating tasks gives you the opportunity to work on things that can’t be delegated, that you can add value to. If you’re feeling your work/life balance is out of kilter, this may help regain some control.

• What is it that you enjoy that you could do more of instead?

If you’ve ever written a goals list, delegating may well give you more time to work towards these – who wouldn’t want to do that?

2.  Nobody Suitable

I’ll challenge you a bit on this one.  Is it really the case, or do you have control/trust issues? It doesn’t say much about your team development skills to date, or your faith in their abilities if this is the situation.  Remember someone had to trust you to do it for the first time once.

• …yet!

You should be regularly appraising and investing in your team’s development.  If they appear to be lacking the skills needed for the task then work on addressing the situation.  Don’t continue to do the task yourself.

• Review what skills are missing in the team/individual

What skills are needed for this specific task.  What’s stopping you from training up some or all of the team in these skills? You’ll be benefiting yourself, the individual and the team by increasing skill sets.

• Develop individuals with passing on this task in mind

It’s good to develop people, but in this case you have a specific outcome in mind i.e. delegating a task. Concentrate your efforts on those who you think will be most suited to the task.

3.  No Time!

And you’ll never free any up in the long term if you keep doing it yourself – you’ll stay just as busy and lacking in time in future as you are now.

• Plan to hand it over, build it into your schedule

It might sound daft but put some time in your diary to do it.  If you’re forever telling yourself you’ll do it when you get some time you are much less likely to succeed in delegating the task. 

Even better, make an appointment with the person you intend to hand the task over to. This not only further commits you to it but gives them a heads up about what’s coming their way!

• A bit at a time won’t require as much time as all in one go

If it’s going to take quite a bit of explaining, or it’s going to make it easier for the other person, then pass the task on a bit at a time. 

You’ll need less time to explain and pass on part, than you would if you passed on the whole task. 

Over a period of time you can pass it all over, releasing a bit more time for you with every step.

4.  They’re Busy Too

You need to check this is the case. Nobody wants to look like they are twiddling their thumbs with nothing to do.  There’s usually plenty going on to fill time – but is their time used effectively?

• Do an ‘activity’ audit

Ask them to draw up a list of tasks they do. Is everything still needed?

If they are producing information for others – does it get used?

Check for any ‘filler’ jobs

• Can they make a system of any of their tasks?

Like you, they should see if any of their jobs could be done more efficiently.  Ask questions about why things are done a certain way.  Check there aren’t alternatives to manual processes.

• Can they delegate any of their tasks?

You’re not the only one who can delegate!  What options do they have?  There may be opportunities to ‘merge’ tasks.  One or more members of your team might be doing the same task for different departments – could efficiencies be made by getting one team member to do the whole, or elements of the task for all departments?

5.  It Will Take Longer

This should only be the case in the short term. Time invested in delegating now will reap rewards in the future.

• Sure it will…to start with

Ok, let’s say a task takes you half an hour each month, total six hours a year – not a whole load of time.  To show someone how to do it, and support them, and give feedback is going to take you two hours! 

I’m sure at some point someone had to invest their time to pass the task to you.

You need to invest time to gain time, looking at the one-off time taken to pass on a task will always make it look less time efficient.

• Take the long view

Using the example above you’ll have an hour and a half less this month, but gain half an hour a month for the next eleven a net total time saved of four hours this year – might not seem worth it.

But that’s four hours gained this year, six hours next year and every year after.  Six hours is almost a full working day!  And that’s just one…small…task. 

Several small tasks like this will soon mount up.

Imagine a weekly half hour job?  That would work out to about three working days a year…for ever!

• They might find a more efficient way and it will actually get quicker!

Take the plunge – if you delegate it to someone else there is potential for them to spot a better way of doing it – which takes less time than it used to take you! 

6.  It’s Too Complicated

More control/trust issues? Refer back to Barrier 2. Nobody Suitable, make sure it really is the case, and that there’s nothing you can do about it.

• Break the task down

How to Delegate Successfully showed that it’s ok to delegate part of task.  Look at why you think it’s too complicated. Can it be broken down into a number of sub-tasks?

• Delegate one element at a time

Pass them on one sub-task at a time.  Make sure you are both happy with how that’s going before adding any new elements.  It will give you both the confidence to carry on.

• Build in more frequent ‘check-ins’

If it would help build in check-ins rather than waiting for them to raise any issues

• Are you holding onto knowledge you should be sharing?

Is it only complicated because you know something they don’t?  You should be aiming to share as much knowledge with your team as possible, not just regarding this task, but all the time.  If they lack the knowledge is it because you aren’t sharing when you should be?

7.  It’s Too Important

More control/trust issues? Refer back to #2. Nobody Suitable, make sure it really is the case, and that there’s nothing you can do about it. Why is it so important? Is it because of who receives it, is it because of the risks associated with getting it wrong?

• If there’s no governance stating you have to do it, then it can be passed on

I’m sure you will be able to convey the importance of the task as you go through the process of delegating – although don’t go to the extreme of filling them with fear about the consequences!

• You can build in a review before it goes anywhere

If you really think it’s that important (remember we’re talking routine tasks here) then you can build in a review, to make sure you are happy with the output before it goes anywhere. 

You will still need to put some time into the task, but it should be less than if you did it all yourself.

• First time round work on it together

You could further reassure yourself by doing it together the first time, and even potentially the second.  Just be careful not to undermine the other person by giving them the impression you don’t trust them. 

Work out between you where there is a greater possibility for error and see if you can strengthen that element of the task.

8.  I Do it Best!

When was the last time you checked? Aren’t you making an assumption? Sounds like there are some control issues going on here.

What is it about you that makes you the best?  Challenge the reasons why it’s not possible for someone else to do it as well as you (after some practice).  Are you being too perfect? Do you enjoy the recognition?

• Are you sure?  Are you still doing it the way it’s always been done?

If you’ve been doing this task the same way for over 12 months then it could probably do with a review anyway. Is it ‘your baby’? Did you invest a lot of time and effort to make it work initially and you’re concerned someone else won’t treat it with the same importance?

If it’s important, then refer back to #7. If you’re attached to it you need to let go, you’re passing it to someone you’re working with, you should be building in appropriate monitoring.  This will allow you to reassure yourself that it is still in safe hands.

• What makes you so special?

What skills/knowledge do you have that means someone else couldn’t do it to your standard? As long as you are not being too perfect, you should be able to transfer your knowledge and skill over time so that the delegate can not only do it, but to the standard required.

• Fresh eyes, fresh ideas

Although you think it’s the best it can be – do you really know that’s the case?  Passing the task to someone else means they will bring a fresh perspective and new ideas.  It might be difficult to accept, but by passing it on it might get even better, more efficient and effective.

9.  What if it Goes Wrong?

You take the plunge, pass it on and something goes wrong – wouldn’t it be a whole load safer just to keep doing it yourself and avoid the potential for this to happen?

• Risk assessment – financial, reputational etc.

What’s the real impact if it does go wrong?  Will it mean that the work will need repeating therefore wasting a bit of time, or is there a chance of real harm, financial loss or reputational damage to the organisation?  For most routine tasks I expect the impact is a minor impact on resources.  This shouldn’t be a reason not to delegate.  It’s human nature to make the occasional mistake, we’ve all made them?  If you plan properly you should be minimising the risk as you go through the delegation process.

• Appropriate support/monitoring

How to Delegate Successfully discussed appropriate support.  If you’re genuinely concerned about the potential for errors, and their impact, build in checks and monitoring to reassure yourself, but be careful not to micromanage.

• Psychological safety

If you’ve created an atmosphere of psychological safety i.e. your team believe they won’t be punished or humiliated for speaking up with ideas, questions, concerns, or mistakes, then if anything is worrying them about the task they will feel comfortable coming to you to discuss it.  This will vastly reduce the likelihood of anything going wrong. 

If there isn’t a feeling of psychological safety then it’s something you need to work to introduce across the whole team, not just the individual you are delegating the task to.

10.  I’m on My Own!

Think delegation is only for someone with a ‘team’.

If you are on your own running a business it doesn’t mean you have to ‘do-it-yourself’ all the time.

• Delegation can be paying someone else to do some of your tasks e.g. virtual assistant, bookkeeper etc.

It’s not cheating!  You didn’t go into business to do all the admin work, the marketing, the financials.  There are many small businesses out there who specialise in supporting sole traders to do all sorts of activities, you’ll be helping them out as well as yourself.

• Your time has value, it’s false to think you are saving money by doing it all yourself!

If you’re working on the activities that support your business, but not on the business itself then there are lost opportunities to grow as a result.  Getting someone else to do that means you can concentrate on what adds value and quality.  It isn’t really saving money.

Now you’ve got the steps to be able to delegate, and ways to deal with the doubts you might have about doing so.

There are no more excuses – get delegating!