Table of Contents
To Delegate... or Not to Delegate
Stacks of boxes at least 3-4 feet high filled the conference room. I tore the tape, opened a box, and burst into tears. My hormones weren’t helping me out. I was six months pregnant and faced with the time-intensive task of organizing and leading state testing.
I had already completed a round of testing the previous year and knew what was in store. The work. The details. The spreadsheets. The labeling. My friend and fellow AP, Maureen, came in to check on me as I sniffled away. Seeing my tear-stricken face, she embraced me, and then instantly started opening the boxes with me.
I was so thankful she popped in at that moment to see me vulnerable and at a loss.
Now, while my hormones were influencing my emotional state back in that conference room with Maureen, the pressure and stress I felt were very real.
However, some leaders struggle with leading versus doing. Those who relentlessly do, do, do, and become taskmasters risk alienating staff, creating resentment, and burning out (Sostrin, 2017).
Something I learned early on as an assistant principal and now principal is you need to delegate. You should never take on any huge task solo. You will either become an emotional wreck or quickly burn out.
In this week’s post, you'll learn about the five key reasons you need to start delegating. Considering the research, I also share some pitfalls you should try to avoid. By the end, you’ll become a delegation master.
To Delegate... or Not To Delegate...
Delegation might seem like a straightforward task. You identify a few people and projects, assign those individuals the projects, and BAM... you've got delegation!
Not so fast.
Delegation is so much more. When you delegate correctly you have the potential of increasing staff retention and engagement (Baker et al., 2022). When people feel like they have some autonomy and a voice in the tasks they are asked to do, they will be more invested and could even be more productive (Norris et al., 2021).
However, some leaders struggle with leading versus doing. Those who relentlessly do, do, do, and become taskmasters risk alienating staff, creating resentment, and burning out (Sostrin, 2017).
Last, but not least… when you practice delegation you can lead and think at a strategic level rather than being stuck in the weeds.
Sostrin's (2017) article in the Harvard Business Review suggests every leader ask themself this single question: “If you had to take an unexpected week off work, would your initiatives and priorities advance in your absence?”
Your answer will speak volumes.
Now, there is also something called “dumping” which can have equally damaging effects as just controlling and doing everything yourself (Baker et al., 2022). Dumping can also increase animosity and even lead to staff attrition.
Imagine this… your boss dumps a bunch of menial assignments in your lap with no direction, no purpose, and no guidance. Plus, they give you zero autonomy to make the assignment your own. Sounds pretty frustrating, right?
If a leader just shells out responsibility without authority, then you are a dumper and not a delegator. 💩
Instead, provide individuals autonomy when assigning tasks so they can grow their competence and confidence.
Another delegation controversy is that some may perceive delegation as laissez-faire management (Norris et al., 2021). Researchers found that delegation can be viewed as laissez-faire management when the manager is low on competence trustworthiness. So, if you appear incompetent and unreliable, then it doesn’t matter how grand your intentions are when you delegate, others may perceive you as laissez-faire.
Other researchers argue that if you’re aiming for empowerment with delegation, then what you should do in conjunction with delegation is enhance self-efficacy through goal setting and professional development (Conger & Kanungo, 1988).
When delegating, you must be mindful of what and how you are delegating because you do not want to increase “dysfunctional resistance.” If you are coming across as a laissez-faire manager rather than a leader who is truly trying to build their staff’s capacity, then your culture and people will suffer (Norris et al., 2021).
So what you can do is ensure that you are actively communicating with your staff to guarantee that your expectations and intentions align with your staff’s needs and wants (Wong & Giessner, 2018). Be authentic in your intentions and (to echo Holden Caulfield….) don’t be a phony.
The 5 Delegation Whys
Delegation doesn't seem as easy as we thought, right? Now, let’s see why delegation that isn’t dumping or an appendage of laissez-faire management can be better for staff and your leadership. Here are just five reasons why you should practice delegation:
1. Empower staff
When you allow staff to own a specific task, they'll be able to use their voice. You are offering them a chance to share that voice and have autonomy. This freedom can develop their agency and even self-efficacy if done right.
Now, it is a delicate balance between giving them free rein and scaffolding, modeling, and/or coaching. Ideally, you will guide staff and be a sounding board as they move through one of their first assignments.
To let them fly without support would be negligent. You want to be there along the way. With this said, there will come a point where that little bird will need to fly.
2. Develop staff's skills
When individuals own a task or assignment and are invested in that work, there is the potential that they will also increase their skills. They might become better organizers, learn something new, and develop soft skills… the sky is the limit with what they can learn.
Invest in your people and their skill development by giving them a chance to complete projects. But just like empowerment, be there as a support or connect them with others who can act as that support as well. Distributing leadership with mentoring is important to consider because there is only one you.
Trust that your people are going to get it done. Release control and let them go so you can be free to lead.
3. Inspire innovation
Probably one of the best things about delegating is you increase brain power from one to many. Whether it is one other person or an entire group, those individuals see and experience things differently than you. Delegation can lead to new ideas and innovation. Which, in all honesty, education is in dire need of!
We need free thinkers and individuals willing to think and innovate outside the box. Adopt that innovator’s mindset that George Couros speaks of and let people run with and explore their ideas.
4. Decentralize power
Our fourth major why for delegation is that by allowing others to complete assignments without your approval, things move faster. You can make quicker decisions and get more done! Individuals aren’t constantly waiting for an answer, which is so incredibly frustrating.
Trust that your people are going to get it done. Release control and let them go so you can be free to lead.
5. Lead & don’t be a master tasker
Last, but not least… when you practice delegation you can lead and think at a strategic level rather than being stuck in the weeds. When you are managing and being a master tasker, you won't accomplish all that you want. You are not going to be developing your people. And you are going to burn out. That is inevitable.
So give yourself some grace and let go of the reins. Delegate so you can lead.
One Last Thought
After going through that second year of state testing, I realized I do not have to control every little detail. There were some tasks that I could delegate. I know state testing is all top security and everything, but some things didn’t need my control.
The following year, I remembered this. I released some of my control and gave my admin assistant autonomy to complete some tasks. This was both relieving for me and allowed her to create a better system (which I still use to this day!).
Because I released a little and gave her a chance to create her system, we were able to innovate. This delegation moment also developed the trust we had in one another and contributed to a stronger bond. Because in all honesty, who doesn't love commiserating over state testing?
References
Baker, E. L., & Murphy, S. A. (2022). Delegation: A Core Leadership Skill. Journal of Public Health Management and Practice, 28(4), 430-432. https://journals.lww.com/jphmp/fulltext/2022/07000/delegation__a_core_leadership_skill.15.aspx
Conger J. A. & Kanungo R. N. (1988). The empowerment process: Integrating theory and practice. Academy of Management Review, 13(3), 471-482. https://doi-org.ezproxy1.lib.asu.edu/10.2307/258093 Crossref. ISI.
Norris, K. R., Ghahremani, H., & Lemoine, G. J. (2021). Is it Laissez-Faire Leadership or Delegation? A Deeper Examination of an Over-Simplified Leadership Phenomenon. Journal of Leadership & Organizational Studies, 28(3), 322–339. https://doi.org/10.1177/1548051821997407
Sostrin, J. (2021, April 1). To be a great leader, you have to learn how to delegate well. Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2017/10/to-be-a-great-leader-you-have-to-learn-how-to-delegate-well
Wong, S. I., & Giessner, S. R. (2018). The thin line between empowering and laissez-faire leadership: An expectancy-match perspective. Journal of Management, 44(2), 757-783.
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