{"id":3000010168,"date":"2020-02-26T13:23:32","date_gmt":"2020-02-26T18:23:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.wework.com\/ideas\/?p=3000010168"},"modified":"2020-09-03T05:53:24","modified_gmt":"2020-09-03T09:53:24","slug":"how-to-get-better-at-delegating-tasks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wework.com\/ideas\/professional-development\/creativity-culture\/how-to-get-better-at-delegating-tasks","title":{"rendered":"How do I get better at delegating tasks?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

As the space between work and not-work becomes ever more blurred, questions about how to do this thing we plug away at for 30 or 40 or 70 hours a week become all the more expansive. In<\/em> Work Flow<\/strong><\/em><\/a>, we delve into the novel dilemmas created by the new ways we work, as well as timeless questions about ethics, gender assumptions, and toxic work situations (and how to escape them). How we work is an important component of how we live\u2014and we\u2019re here to help you do better at both.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Something messing with your flow? Unload your work problems here, and you\u2019ll not only feel heard but you\u2019ll also get unbiased, real-world advice. (That\u2019s something your work sibling\/spouse just can\u2019t offer.) Tell us everything: <\/em>ideasbywe@wework.com<\/em><\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019ve been at the same company for five years, and in that time I\u2019ve been promoted from an entry-level position to a management role, which is great. I\u2019m moving into a lot more conceptual and business-growth-related work, and, in addition, I\u2019m mentoring and helping develop newer hires. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The problem: I\u2019m still <\/em>responsible for much of the stuff I did during my first year on the job. I can almost do it in my sleep at this point, though it all takes time. I\u2019m really struggling to get everything done. Part of me is afraid that if I delegate my old work, my company will regret promoting me, and my coworkers will resent me for passing stuff onto them. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Everyone says delegation is a key part of leadership, but how do I even go about it? Do I need manager approval? Do I just take it upon myself to hand out the work I don\u2019t like anymore? What if the person I delegate it to doesn\u2019t do it right? Sometimes it feels easier to just do everything myself (at least I know it will be done right), but then I am at the office till midnight and hate myself. Can you help me delegate?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEveryone\u201d is correct! Delegation is a key part of leadership and a key part of business success, both micro and macro. In 2014, Gallup studied 143 CEOs from the Inc. 500<\/a> list and found that those who were good at delegating<\/a> had a significantly higher growth rate for their companies, and greater revenues, than those who didn’t delegate well. They also created more jobs, and did it faster than others. This isn\u2019t just true for those particular CEOs. Across the board, delegators have been found to get more, and better, stuff done. They\u2019re very likely happier, too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So let\u2019s turn to the very first person you need to \u201clead\u201d through delegation here: yourself. I\u2019m not chastising you. You\u2019ve been climbing the ranks for five years. I feel like the managers who hired and promoted you should have given you at least a note or two about delegation during your performance reviews and even, ideally, helped you manage taking some of the work off your plate and putting it onto someone else\u2019s. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But, hey, that\u2019s not what happened, and it\u2019s often not what happens in today\u2019s workplaces. That\u2019s just fine<\/em>. You\u2019re going to learn to delegate without their push in that direction. You\u2019ve led yourself here (by doing more and more work, so your dedication is real), and you\u2019ve led yourself to ask this question (because you know something has to give). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Time is finite. It\u2019s impossible to become more and more integral to the company\u2014not just carrying out duties but really helping to lead and grow the vision of that company yourself\u2014if you never move on from your entry-level duties. You have to cut out the stuff that\u2019s no longer the best use of your time in order to give yourself time for the other, higher-value work. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When someone starts in the mailroom and moves up to the corner office, they\u2019re not still delivering the mail, right? Before you worry about resentments from your coworkers and regrets from your bosses, keep in mind that this isn\u2019t just about you, it\u2019s about your company and what best supports the business. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

More stats: According to a 2013 executive coaching survey from Stanford University,<\/a> 35 percent of CEOs felt their delegation skills needed improvement; 37 percent said they\u2019re working on improving those skills. (So you\u2019re in good company.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here\u2019s what you need to do to start reaping the benefits of delegation, which include more time for you to do the stuff that\u2019s going to build both your career and your company, more trust in the workplace, a higher sense of value and empowerment for everybody, and a greater commitment to this super place you work. What could be better? (Oh, also, if you delegate, you can actually take some time off and enjoy yourself.) A win-win.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Step 1: Review your workday and duties <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Write down everything you do from the minute you step into the office (or beforehand, if you start working from home) until you turn off your computer for the night (or whatever signifies the end of your workday). Make a list! (I love lists.) Chart out a day, a week, even a month; use Google calendar to note time increments, or write this all on an old-school hanging wall calendar\u2014whatever you need to get an essential sense of how you really spend time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then designate which duties seem like they\u2019d be good ones to delegate and which ones you definitely want to hold onto and do more of (different colored highlighters are great for this). Note anything that\u2019s a holdover from your early days at the company as well as those you\u2019re still doing because you think it makes it easier for everyone else. Also include duties you can do \u201cin your sleep.\u201d (By the way, in your sleep means you should actually be sleeping, another key to leadership success<\/a>.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other things to consider: Are any of your duties taking an inordinate amount of time? Which ones are really important to you? Which duties align with your ultimate goals at this company? Shed anything that anyone else could do, or the ones that someone with a different skill set could complete faster. This is why there are IT and contracts departments, and so forth. There may well be a better person for the job than you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

Step 2: Ask yourself this simple question<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Look at your list and focus on the stuff you\u2019ve noted as prime delegation fodder. Ask yourself: Why haven\u2019t you delegated this already? You may come up with several different answers, some of which you mentioned in your letter\u2014fear of irritating your coworkers, fear of making your company think they were wrong in promoting you. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most people who don\u2019t delegate are often afraid of giving up control. We know we can do the tasks so we just do. It takes too long to explain it to someone else. What if they don\u2019t do it right? Do we become irrelevant if we stop doing the thing we\u2019ve always done? It\u2019s really hard to say no, or to change office dynamics or expectations. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

One 2010 study revealed two other psychological reasons why people have trouble delegating<\/a>: 1) the self-enhancement effect, i.e., people think the work is better the more they\u2019ve been involved with its production, and 2) the faith in supervision effect, i.e., people think work that\u2019s been done under supervisor control is better than work that\u2019s not been supervised. Both of these beliefs (along with the wrong thinking I\u2019ve mentioned above) will lead you astray. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you think you\u2019re prone to them, fight back against this tendency. You\u2019ve got to trust yourself\u2014and your coworkers\u2014in order to delegate. And, as fate would have it, delegating actually builds that trust. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Step<\/strong> 3: Talk to your manager <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019ve never addressed this at all (and it sounds like you haven\u2019t), it\u2019s high time you have a \u201cstate of the business union.\u201d Hopefully you will get an assist from your boss on delegating tasks according to some of your coworkers\u2019 skills and interests, as well as the needs and balance of the entire team. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Explain what you\u2019re up against workwise, and that you\u2019re still doing work from the early days even though you\u2019ve moved into a new managerial role yourself. Tell them that you\u2019re eager to really pour yourself into your new duties, and that you\u2019d like suggestions on how best to proceed with delegating. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are there people on the team who might be ready for the work you\u2019re looking to hand off? Who\u2019s best suited for which job? Which of your duties does your manager want you to keep, and why? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Step 4: Create guidelines for the duties you\u2019re delegating<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Go back to your master list, which I hope you\u2019ve adapted based on the conversation with your manager. Look at what you\u2019ve decided to delegate, and to whom. Write a thorough, clear description of how to do each of those duties. Include how long they should take, specific deadlines, any resources or access someone would need to complete them, and so on. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Basically, if you were to put this description in a bottle and send it to space, would whoever received it have a reasonable chance at following your instructions (assuming the being can read?). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then meet in person with the people you\u2019ve chosen as delegates. Explain what you like about the duty, and how you get it done. Talk about how handling these tasks well are part of what led to your promotion. Express how important these tasks are to the team and to the business, and how you and your manager have selected this person specifically because of their interests, skill level, and drive. (Don\u2019t go overboard, but it\u2019s nice to be recognized for what you\u2019re good at and to be told you are trusted to do more.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you can demonstrate these tasks in person, go for it. The more someone can learn how to do what you want them to do, the better. You\u2019ll worry less about what happens when you hand over the reins. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Step<\/strong> 5: Have faith <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Give your designated delegates room to find their own way in a process you\u2019ve gotten so good at that you don\u2019t need to keep doing it. If they don\u2019t do it exactly the way you do, but their results are equally good or better, let them have that win! This is what growth is all about. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Be patient, because not everyone is perfect the first time. That\u2019s what feedback, regular meetings, reviewing, and rejiggering (as needed) is for. You\u2019re not leaving the company; this is part of your becoming a better mentor, manager, and yes, leader. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ask for updates to learn how your delegates feel about what they\u2019re doing. Troubleshoot as needed. And enjoy going home before midnight. I hope you sleep like a baby.<\/p>\n\n\n