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- Effective Delegation
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Three months into being a "solopreneur," one of the hardest challenges has been the lack of delegation. I once aimed to master the "art of delegation," and as I revisit this topic, I thought it would be beneficial to share my insights with you.
Delegation isn’t just for managers. Everyone on multidisciplinary teams delegates tasks - down, up, or sideways. When you see the word "leader" as you continue reading this, remember this could mean leading a project, not just a team. Even for those without manager roles, effective delegation is crucial.
THE THEORY
Delegation Poker is a great framework to clarify decision-making in teams. Management 3.0 breaks down delegation into seven levels (from least to most):
Tell: The leader decides and informs the team. Best for urgent or critical tasks.
Sell: The leader decides but explains the reasoning to gain buy-in and support.
Consult: The leader seeks input before deciding, considering the team's perspectives.
Agree: The decision is made jointly with the team, fostering collaboration and sense of ownership.
Advise: The team decides with the leader offering guidance. A good way to mentor while still giving the team control.
Inquire: The team decides, and the leader is informed afterward. Best for teams with expertise and autonomy, with leaders who still want to be "kept in the loop."
Delegate: The team has full authority to decide and execute without the leader’s involvement. The ultimate level of trust and empowerment.
[Side note: This framework reminds me of Situational Leadership, which also emphasizes adapting leadership style based on the situation. Maybe this is a topic for another post.]
GTD’s "Waiting For" concept is great for managing delegated tasks. How to do this? Set up a "Waiting For" folder in your inbox, create a rule for emails from yourself to go there, and BCC yourself when delegating. Review the folder regularly (1 - 5 times a week) to ensure a timely follow-up.
MY PERSONAL THOUGHTS
Finding Win-Wins. At Amazon, I learned that delegation isn’t just about offloading tasks; it’s about empowering people. Everyone is "busy," so delegating might seem impossible. To delegate effectively, understand and align tasks with team members' passions and aspirations. This will lead to motivated team members and better outcomes. Yes, it may take them longer, but their extra motivation compensates.
Force yourself to move up from "Tell". For instance, in "goal setting," even if you’re clear on goals, involving the team boosts morale and ownership (moving from "Tell" to "Agree"). This worked well with my direct reports and cross-functional partners, making the goals truly "ours" and not just "mine." As a business leader, including other functions (e.g. tech, finance) in goal-setting has been rewarding for them and insightful for me.
Automation is a form of delegation, especially for high-frequency, low-complexity tasks. Leaders should consider automating these tasks to free up time and improve efficiency. Do you know what percentage of your time is spent on such tasks?
HOW TO PUT THIS INTO PRACTICE
Identify a Task: Choose a task to delegate this week, ideally one that doesn't align well with your current strengths or responsibilities.
Identify Candidates: Take time to learn about team members' development goals to find a win-win.
(If no win-win) Discuss with Your Manager: Justify offloading a task by explaining how it benefits the team (i.e. what new task will you take on and what results will you bring). Consider automating as a solution.
Use Delegation Poker: Assess your team’s workload across the seven levels. Aim for a healthy distribution of: 25% Tell/Sell, 35% Consult/Agree, 25% Advise/Inquire, and 15% Delegate (adjust based on team's seniority)
Leverage the "Waiting For" List: Implement the GTD's concept to track delegated tasks without micromanaging.
Delegation, whether to people or processes, is about working smarter. Regularly audit your Delegation Poker levels to keep your team motivated and projects moving forward.
Let it go, let it go,
Jorge Luis Pando
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