The Art of Delegation

Are you delegating enough? During your stint as a non-manager type, you probably learned that handing off important tasks was surely a path to failure. Along with your new title as Project Manager, came an increase in responsibility. This is the reason you get paid the big bucks. The only real way to manage all that you are responsible for is to enlist the help of others. But once you’ve handed the task off, you begin to sweat profusely with anxiety from thoughts running through your head: “Do they understand the instructions?” “How will I make sure it is done correctly?” Paul M. Ingevaldson retired CIO, indicates that you know when you are not delegating enough when “the questions you are getting are easy for you to answer.” He is adamant about the fact that you should only have time for the tough questions. If you are handling the easy ones, then you are wasting your time on matters that can be taken care of by someone else and overall hindering the productivity of your team.

He indicates how to evaluate your delegation propensity. If a person from your team comes to you with an easy question, then there are two possibilities. First, they don't have the confidence to make the decision and want validation from you, the boss. In this case, you must be careful not to answer the question but to tell them that they should trust their own instincts and make the call. In this way, they will have an opportunity to grow as a person and will begin to gain the confidence that they are lacking. You also will be able to monitor their decision-making ability.

The second possibility is that the answer was indeed simple but you didn't share the necessary information, requiring them to ask the question. This may mean you retain some information in order to feel that you have not lost control, but it causes your people to be frustrated and to feel that you don't trust them. It's important for you to disclose to your team members all of the information that they need to do their jobs.

Well, then, if you tell your subordinates everything, what's your job? Don't worry. There is always more to do. The main role of the boss is to work at the intersections. By that I mean that any organization must interact with peer organizations to get the job done. This is where the Manager can have the most impact; it's not where team members should spend their time. This is the boss's turf, where relationship-building and mutual understanding creates successful projects.

If you find that you are this type of Project Manager, maybe it’s time to re-evaluate your management style. By analyzing each of these encounters and taking the appropriate actions, you will grow your people and improve the productivity of your organization. Of course, once you have accomplished this, you will have time for only the tough questions. That will make your days harder and your nights more sleepless. That sounds like an accurate description of management to me. Welcome aboard!