Are there instances when it is better not to delegate

Read more about this project. Explore context. Explore the latest strategic trends, research and analysis. As an employee, if you outsource these tasks, your boss may wonder why he needs to keep you around at all.

As a company, you may find yourself held hostage if you outsource and your partner leaves or demands more money. Praise and discipline These tasks are two sides of the coin. People will naturally trust and be more loyal to the person who doles out praise and incentives, and the higher up you are in a company, the more important it is to do these activities yourself.

Bringing in the right talent, putting together a team that works well, and understanding which members need training, mentoring, or incentives are the tools for success.

Investors want to hear from the person in charge whether the news is good or bad. Whether you are the CEO or a team leader, maintaining the vision that drives your team cannot be forgotten or outsourced. Is this a task that will recur with some frequency, in a similar form, in the future? Do you have enough time to delegate the job effectively and stay on top of things?

This example answered all five questions above in a way that justified delegation: Yes, vendor negotiations is a responsibility that Mary can perform, though John will remain involved. Indeed, Mary is available to train to become more proficient at this task. T his task is performed often. John committed enough time to delegate the job effectively and stay on top of things.

Here are some other related tips to consider when delegating. Where possible, keep the stakes low. Look for small, relatively inconsequential projects that have some flexibility built into how it gets done. Leave ample time for mistakes. Mistakes are inevitable, especially for less-experienced colleagues. Allow added time where possible to ensure that mistakes can be identified and corrected in advance. The project must be done in a specific way. In some situations, such as an intricate project that you developed and possess intimate knowledge of, delegation may create more problems than benefits.

It takes more time for explain what to do than to just do it yourself. This assumes that this is a one-off project that just needs to be done and taken off the list. A recurring project or one that will provide opportunity for meaningful subordinate development should not be included in this list. When you really enjoy doing it. You are the best person for the job. If it's something you know well and can add real value to, do it yourself.

When hiring, Chloe specifically looks for people who are ready to take ownership from their first day on the job. Case Study 2: Make it a win-win-win Russell Sy, a managing director at a company that develops and manages business parks in the United Arab Emirates, learned how to delegate effectively from watching others. In a previous role, he was assigned to lead a newly formed division.

The CEO had combined five separate functions and asked Russell to ensure the integration went smoothly and saved the company money. He delegated several projects to each leader. Within a few weeks, he saw that one of the departments was falling behind and quickly assessed that the department head was the obstacle. The leader was unhappy with the integration and thought it diminished his power so he refused to cooperate. Eventually, Russell had to replace him.

Now Russell looks for delegation opportunities that will benefit him, the direct report, and the organization. Russell realizes trusting a newcomer with such an important task was perhaps a gamble. Leaders delegate for two main reasons: 1 they lack the time, skill, or other resources to do the job; or 2 they wish to give someone else the growth opportunities that come with a particular responsibility and activity.

It is possible to overcome these hindrances to delegation, however. These suggestions can prove helpful:. Seek inspiration. Determine prayerfully who should receive particular assignments and what tasks to assign to particular people.

Then both you and the person receiving the assignments can feel more committed to the arrangement. Give challenging assignments. Sometimes leaders parcel out only the hard, boring, uninteresting activities and keep the best for themselves. This means that the person receiving the tasks often does not see the work leading to any significant growth or improvement, and, in time, begins to resent and resist the task. If a child were delegated to always do the dishes after a family night and never had a chance to give the lesson, select the activity, or plan the dessert, he could easily become dissatisfied.

A wise church or family leader periodically reviews what has been delegated to see how people feel about their assignments. Clarify expectations. When one turns work over to another, he still retains a certain degree of responsibility. It is important that the mother clarify what she expects—that she clearly explain the importance of shopping, the amount of money to be spent, when the marketing is to be done, and the quality of merchandise to be purchased.

If these things are not clearly communicated, the daughter may unknowingly upset the plans of the mother or the family. Get a commitment. After explaining the importance of the task and identifying the objectives, the leader should give the person a chance to respond—to accept the assignment, project, or area of work and commit himself to accomplish it. A verbal response can do more than just help the person feel committed to his new assignment; it can also open the door for questions or clarifications and lead naturally to future follow-through.

Give training as needed.