Over 2 decades, I have conducted dozens of training on leadership and people management. In those times, I have asked training participants about their challenges in delegating. I have listed the 10 most frequent reasons based on what they specifically said or my observation.
1. Lack of Trust in Team Members’ Abilities: Concerns about team members’ skills or their capability to complete tasks to a certain standard can prevent managers from delegating, fearing the work won’t meet expected quality levels. The question, of course, is how do you trust their abilities? It starts with hiring the right people and developing their capacity to perform through training and coaching.
2. Fear of Losing Control: Some managers view delegation as relinquishing control over tasks and outcomes, worrying they won’t be able to oversee every detail, leading to mistakes or unsatisfactory results. Managers who have this barrier tend to micromanage. It is fine to do this at first, but you should learn to let go as employees gain confidence in doing their work.
3. Inadequate Delegation Skills: Effective delegation requires knowing what, to whom, and how to delegate, including providing the right direction and support. A lack of these skills can result in ineffective delegation, discouraging managers from attempting it. It is important to note that delegation is not simply giving people orders or instructions. It’s a process and it requires a skilled manager to do it. Seek training. It should help you delegate better.
4. Perfectionism: Managers who are perfectionists may struggle to delegate, believing no one else can achieve their high standards, which can lead to them taking on too much and not utilizing their team’s potential. Most perfectionist managers don’t just micromanage, they take over rendering them overworked and unable to manage more effectively. Having a high standard of performance is great. How you help people meet your standards is the key skill you need to develop.
5. Lack of Training and Development: When managers do not invest in training and development for their team, they may believe their team lacks the skills for certain tasks, reinforcing a cycle of non-delegation. Lack of training leads to a longer learning curve and compels managers to micromanage. People often think that when we talk about training and development, we are talking about expensive classroom training. In truth, the most important training is the one facilitated by the manager, on the floor in the workplace. Managers must learn to train and to become mentors and find time to do it.
6. Unclear Delegation Objectives: Without clear goals and objectives for delegated tasks, managers might avoid delegation due to uncertainty about how to effectively assign and manage these tasks. This stems from the lack of clarity on what managers can delegate due to their poor job descriptions. Managers need to be clear about their roles and how they relate to the roles of their team members. The ultimate goal of delegation is to empower employees, and hopefully prepare them for bigger responsibilities. Managers must ensure that this is clear for themselves and the employees.
7. Fear of Diminished Importance: Some managers believe that delegating tasks will make them appear less capable or less essential to their team or organization, leading them to hoard responsibilities. Managers who suffer from this barrier are those who failed to transition from their contributor role to their new leadership and management role. If this is your barrier, seek support on how you can make this paradigm shift through coaching and mentoring.
8. Inadequate Resources: A perceived or real lack of resources, such as time for training or proper tools, can make managers hesitant to delegate tasks they feel their team cannot adequately support. This is a real issue. When there’s a lack of resources, managers tend to pick up the slack, rendering them unable to delegate.
9. Poor Communication Skills: Effective delegation requires clear communication about expectations, deadlines, and outcomes. Managers with poor communication skills may find it challenging to delegate effectively, leading to confusion and task mismanagement. We are not talking about eloquence here, what we mean is the ability to effectively facilitate conversations that lead to clear expectations, understanding of concerns, and collaborative problem-solving. Leaders must learn to facilitate these meaningful conversations if they are to delegate well.
10. Resistance to Change: Managers accustomed to a certain way of doing things may resist delegating due to discomfort with change or fear of the unknown, preferring to maintain the status quo even if it is inefficient. Leading and managing change should be a manager’s strong suit. It starts with being adaptive to it. The delegating process starts with the manager recognizing that need. Move away from the comfort zone of leaning too much on your technical skills, and start building your empowering skills.
Overcoming these challenges involves building trust, improving delegation and communication skills, investing in team development, and creating a supportive environment that encourages learning and growth. This approach not only enhances team capability but also enables managers to focus on strategic priorities.
Are of these reasons hindering you? I hope you recognize the urgency of being able to delegate and empower people. Remove these barriers to help employees achieve their full potential.
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