Blog Posts
The Challenge of the R1 Diagnosis
Now, no person is ever “R1.” Let’s be clear: Every person, even a new person, will almost certainly find tasks …
Knowing how, when and to whom to delegate tasks is part of being an effective leader. In the Situational Leadership® Model, the main label we use for leadership style 4 (S4) is “delegating” and it’s meant to only be applied to team members who demonstrate a Performance Readiness® level R4 for a task, as they’ve shown they’re ready to perform the task autonomously. But in this blog post, we’re not talking about executing the S4 “delegation” leadership style. We’re talking about handing off tasks to team members who may still need that extra support or direction.
It’s important to understand that delegation isn’t just about offloading tasks or granting autonomy. It’s also about empowering team members to develop new skills, grow in their careers and take ownership of their performance. And that should happen at every Performance Readiness® level.
Leaders commonly find it challenging to delegate. Fortunately, anyone can learn to become more confident and comfortable handing tasks over to employees.
There are many benefits of delegating as a leader beyond reducing workload. For one, it allows leaders to show they trust employees with new or additional tasks. Trust is an important element in a positive and supportive work environment where employees can thrive.
Delegation also fosters autonomy, which can help employees feel more engaged. According to Gallup, organizations with engaged employees experience many benefits, including lower turnover, decreased absenteeism and higher productivity. When employees are engaged, organizations are prepared to stay strong and even flourish in periods of uncertainty.
Leaders can benefit from delegating too. Passing tasks to employees who have proven they can perform them effectively can help leaders avoid feeling overworked, overstressed and ultimately, burned out. With Gartner noting that 51% of managers have more than they can manage effectively, encouraging delegation is crucial for supporting leaders in today’s fast-paced business environments.
Despite knowing the importance of leadership delegation, it can be hard for many leaders to let go of control. Here are some of the most common reasons why leaders struggle to delegate:
A common reason leaders avoid delegating is that they fear tasks will not be done quickly enough or well enough. They may believe they are the only ones who can do the job right.
Leaders must shift their mindsets from thinking tasks must be completed perfectly or exactly the way they would do them to thinking they can be completed well. It also helps to acknowledge that delegation offers growth opportunities to employees, which makes them feel more engaged.
Mistakes are a natural and essential part of the learning process, so it’s important for leaders to leave room for error, giving employees the opportunity to learn and improve moving forward. With adequate training and support, a motivated employee can likely do the delegated task just as well as a leader or maybe even better.
Some leaders don’t trust their teams to perform delegated tasks. They may have lost trust somewhere along the line, perhaps from past experiences where delegated tasks did not meet their standards. Or, they may not trust their own ability to delegate tasks effectively.
Leaders often lack the time and availability to properly train employees on tasks they want to hand off. Even when they do, not all leaders possess the skills to identify employees ready to perform delegated tasks. They also often lack the communication and leadership skills to clearly define tasks, set expectations and offer the right amount of support. If leaders don’t have the time or skills to teach employees how to complete tasks effectively, they might believe it’s easier to do things on their own.
Many leaders find it challenging to shift their perspective from being a high-performing contributor to leading others into becoming high-performers for specific tasks. Leaders who struggle with this mindset change feel more comfortable when they’re directly involved with the work rather than guiding it. They must change how they view their contributions as leaders and embrace stepping outside their comfort zones to feel ready to hand off tasks.
Delegation doesn’t come easily for everyone, but that’s OK. It’s usually a skill that leaders must develop and can master with practice.
The following steps to mastering delegation are based on the Situational Leadership® approach:
Before delegating, leaders must determine whether a task is something only they should do. For example, delegating leadership tasks requiring high confidentiality or advanced leadership skills to other team members would be inappropriate. Tasks that may be delegated include those that an employee can handle, like process-oriented projects or less critical administrative tasks. It’s usually best for leaders to delegate tasks that employees are already executing well.
Task delegation is appropriate when employees demonstrate the appropriate level of ability and willingness for the task. Otherwise, delegating can make employees feel abandoned.
Leaders must know how to gauge an employee’s Performance Readiness®, or their ability and willingness to perform a specific task, before delegating. The Situational Leadership® Model teaches leaders how to recognize when an individual demonstrates a Performance Readiness® level R4 for a particular task, which is ideal for delegation and complete autonomy. It also teaches them how to recognize when employees are at a lower Performance Readiness® level for a task.
Leaders can still hand off work to employees with lower Performance Readiness® for the task. They just need to provide more support or direction to help the person complete the task at a sustained and acceptable level.
Leaders need to clearly define task-related directives, goals, expectations and timelines when delegating. They should also ensure employees have the resources to do the job well.
The Situational Leadership® Essentials course teaches leaders how to communicate effectively and utilize active listening skills. These skills are crucial for facilitating a meaningful two-way conversation about tasks and applying the Situational Leadership® Model. It also shows leaders how to have effective performance conversations and give team members everything they need to perform a task, whether it be more direction, support or both.
Even the highest performers need to feel supported. Leaders should make themselves available for employees to check in to ensure they have what they need to complete tasks successfully and address any concerns or questions they may have. Leaders can also offer praise during check-ins to help team members feel valued and motivated to continue working on the delegated tasks.
That said, it’s important that leaders avoid micromanaging employees who have demonstrated their proficiency, as that can decrease morale.
Constructive feedback, or feedback that provides actionable guidance in an empathetic and respectful way, is crucial to nurturing employee development because it helps them learn from their mistakes and recognize a path forward. Leaders should give feedback promptly while mistakes are still manageable. They should also regularly give positive feedback to reinforce good performance and boost employee confidence and morale.
Delegating tasks has many advantages. For leaders, it frees up time to focus on high-impact projects. Meanwhile, employees grow professionally when trusted to handle new responsibilities, and organizations see more engaged, empowered teams.
Ready to teach your leaders how to delegate tasks effectively? We can help. Our Situational Leadership® Essentials course teaches a simple, effective framework for recognizing an individual’s Performance Readiness® level for a specific task and adapting their leadership style accordingly, enabling them to delegate with confidence. Register for the course today!
