Never underestimate the power of delegation!
When it comes to leadership, no matter your role you're expected to navigate a variety of complex systems, manage diverse teams and continuously make critical decisions that impact both team and organisational outcomes.
Leadership in any workplace demands resilience, adaptability and a commitment to empowering others. And one way of managing the daily demands and challenges is to effectively delegate and empower your team members to take on leadership responsibilities.
When I’m coaching and mentoring, delegation is one of the most common challenges leaders are faced with. It’s not easy entrusting others with responsibilities you feel are yours, even when you realise upskilling your team would create space for you to lead more effectively.
This blog aims to explore why delegation is such a big challenge for leaders, as well as look at some of the ways you can overcome them.
The challenges of delegation
💎 Feeling like you need to be “Superwoman”.
Leaders, and female leaders particularly, often feel the pressure to do everything themselves; and to do it perfectly.
Yet, in my experience, the sooner you acknowledge you can't do everything on your own the better. Not only is it physically and mentally draining and stressful, but it also doesn’t encourage the team or individuals to grow. Even worse, it can hinder a team where you want to encourage accountability and collaboration as the norm.
Start to think about what’s possible for you to do with the resources you have. Fully utilise the strengths of your team to help you achieve collective success.
💎 Struggling to trust your team
In order to delegate effectively, you have to be able to trust your team to do what needs to be done. And that means letting go and sharing some of the responsibilities.
This isn’t easy.
In my first major leadership role, I struggled to let go of the control that in hindsight was making me feel safe. Even though I was supported by a really great team and we all wanted our collective project to succeed, I felt uneasy fully delegating responsibilities and decision making to them.
I learned what helped the most was open and honest communication and positive feedback.
Together, we created time and space on a regular basis where we could define our objectives and expectations, ask questions and share difficulties and potential solutions.
For a long time, it felt like an awkward balancing act between maintaining control and trusting my team, yet in the long run it paid dividends for us all in the success we achieved and the empowerment my team members felt.
Consider how you can feel secure when you delegate and to whom.
💎 Not knowing what to delegate
You can’t delegate everything. It can be hard to work out who in the team has the skills, aptitude and willingness to take on which tasks.
You will probably also need to spend time to provide all the relevant background and current information so others can seamlessly pick up where you leave off.
All this takes time that you’re unlikely to have.
Even though you recognise in the long run you’ll gain time and upskill and empower your team, in the short term, it feels like you’re taking on another mammoth task you don’t have time for.
Again, open and honest communication can help you here. Consider how you can best let your team know what you’re trying to accomplish, and seek their input as to how to effectively use the resources in the team when it comes to allocating responsibilities.
💎 Feeling like your team isn’t ready
Team member readiness plays a crucial part when it comes to effective delegation. When you don’t feel confident in the capability of certain team members, you’re less likely to delegate to them.
Even worse, you might not have the time needed to properly train team members and or oversee them once tasks have been delegated. Most leaders and teams work in fast-paced environments where there is constant pressure to meet deadlines and deliver results.
The bottom line is if you want to free up time to focus on other things, you need to ensure that your team members have the support and opportunities to develop new skills and grow their confidence. Otherwise, you’ll end up handholding far more than you’d like which will take more time than you have available.
Think about how you can ‘make time’ - what can you plan for or help with to get your team ready?
What you can do to overcome delegation challenges.
💎 Be clear on what you want.
Let your team know the objectives, outcomes and timelines for the tasks you’re expecting them to take on. And take time to acknowledge the importance of their contributions to the overall success.
💎 Match tasks to skills
Think about the strengths and expertise of your team members when delegating. Consider their strongest skills, knowledge and interests, to ensure they’re the right fit for the tasks you want them to take on.
Most people will feel a sense of ownership and satisfaction in their role if they’re using their potential and playing to their strengths.
💎 Grant autonomy
Let your team make decisions within their areas of responsibility. If you want to successfully empower others, then encourage them to take the initiative, to work out the best way to problem solve and to learn from their experiences.
💎 Provide ongoing support
Don’t let your team struggle without the resources they need to fulfil their new responsibilities and expand their skill set. They might need additional training, administrative support, or mentorship from you.
Over time, work out together the resources that would be the most helpful.
💎 Be collaborative
Too many times I’ve seen teams overwhelmed when they are given too many responsibilities for the time and skills they have.
One of the most important things you can do as a leader is to ensure your team feels valued, respected and supported.
Take time to recognise and celebrate both individual and team achievement to ensure your team feels appreciated.
In my experience, delegation isn't just a skill, it's also an effective too that can help you enhance team performance. And the inherent challenges are ones faced by leaders at all levels.
However with commitment and collaboration, overtime you can overcome these challenges and let loose the full potential of your teams.
Improving your delegation skills as part of your leadership journey.
Are you ready to step into your next level of leadership and unlock your full potential as a female leader? If you are, then it is time to work with a leadership coach to propel your career forward and empower you to lead with confidence, clarity, and impact.
Delegation, its challenges and how to do it effectively to empower your current or future team are all areas we can work on together. As a Leadership Coach working with female leaders, I provide personalised guidance, support, and accountability to help you work through and overcome your workplace challenges.
Remember, your leadership journey is unique, but you don't have to navigate it alone.
Get in touch with me today and together we can unlock your full potential and achieve extraordinary results in your role as a female leader.
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