Recently, I was asked by the Association for Talent Development to write a few articles for their blog. The first article I wrote is called Three Reasons Delegation Fails – Dissecting Delegation for Better Results. Part of being a good leader is getting work done through others. Once an individual goes from a peer level to a people manager level, one critical skill they will need is effective delegation. 

Delegation can be tricky and is full of potential pitfalls. When we do it well, we help others develop and grow. When we don’t do it effectively, we can create sabotage. When we don’t do it at all, we limit our growth and the growth of others. What is it that makes delegation so challenging to embrace, and why do those who do it so often fail to reach their goals? Let’s start by looking at what we really mean when we talk about delegation.

At Personify Leadership, we define delegation as: Sharing authority and responsibility with a delegate.

We define a delegate as: One who is authorized to act for, or represent, others.

With those definitions in mind, let’s look at the three main reasons delegation fails.

1. We Don’t Want to Be Vulnerable
2. We Don’t Know How to Properly Delegate
3. We Don’t Provide Our Delegates With Voice and Choice

I cover all three of these thoroughly in the article, as well as the solutions to overcome the Delegation Pitfalls.

Click here to read the full article.

We thoroughly cover Delegation in our Core Program in the Hands Module: Be a Leader who provides direction and support.  Join us for our next Open Enrollment class to experience this firsthand.

~Michelle Cummings, CEO of Personify Leadership