Series: Delegation

Most managers know that delegation is part of their job, but the vast majority of management texts are incredibly non-specific about what delegation means. This series on delegation tries to fill this gap. I’ll cover the principles and theories that guide how I think about delegation, ending with a concrete example: how to delegate meeting attendance.

Delegation: What's delegation?

Most managers know that delegation is part of their job, but the vast majority of management texts are incredibly non-specific about what delegation means. So today I’m beginning a series on delegation to try to fill this gap. I’ll cover the principles and theories that guide how I think about delegation, ending with a concrete example: how to delegate meeting attendance. To kick things off: what does delegation mean?

July 19th, 2021 • delegation management

Delegation: “Give Away Your Toys”

My foundational principle of delegation: “give away your toys”. Look to delegate the work you love, not the stuff you dislike or dread.

July 19th, 2021 • delegation management

Delegation: Make Failure A (Safe) Option

Your gut instinct is probably to wait to delegate some work until you’re fully confident that the person can handle it. This is often a mistake. Instead of withholding a delegation opportunity from someone because they might fail, you should instead create a situation where failure will be safe.

July 20th, 2021 • delegation failure management psychological safety

Delegation: Delegate Outcomes, Not Methods

To make delegation most effective, tell people the results you want, but let them decide on how to achieve those results.

July 21st, 2021 • delegation management

Delegation: Briefing a Delegate

Some managers think delegation is easy: you just ask someone on your team to go do a thing, then kick back with your feet on the desk until it’s done. Not true: delegating that way is a recipe for failure. To delegate effectively, you need to set up your delegate for success. This means explaining the work and desired outcomes, providing context, and teaching your delegate any skills they’ll need to be successful.

September 27th, 2021 • delegation management

Delegation: How to Delegate Meeting Attendance

Wrapping up my series on delegation with an example: how to delegate meeting attendance.

October 6th, 2021 • delegation management meetings