Why Lack of Delegation Isn’t Your Real Problem
That is just an after-effect.
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If you struggle with delegation as a Manager, chances are you were an exceptional Individual Contributor (IC).
It is in the nature of things - you can’t have one without the other.
I too experienced the same. I was meticulous as an IC but then struggled with delegation for a greater part of my 2-decade management career in a bank.
But there is good news.
You can get better at delegation, with a small mental shift — a change in Perspective.
This shift has helped me overcome years of negative self-talk like “I suck at delegation” in a matter of weeks.
Now, I improve a little every day.
I wish someone had told me this years ago.
Perspective Shift
Consider the two activities that trip most of us:
- Fear of Public Speaking
- Lack of Delegation
Although the end result is the same — inability to do them well — the reasons are different.
Fear of public speaking is real; You actively fear standing in front of an audience.
In the case of lack of delegation, you don’t fear delegating per se.
Instead, you value something else more, such as:
- You want to understand the issue for yourself
- You take satisfaction from doing a job well
- You want to avoid errors in the task
- You want to help your team
The end result is — You don’t delegate enough.
This perspective shift is crucial if you want to improve at delegation.
In the book, ‘MindWorks: A Practical Guide for Changing Thoughts, Beliefs, and Emotional Reactions,’ author Gary Vann Warmerdam writes in detail about how to bring change in ourselves.
One of the points he mentions is — before one can change a belief, and consequently their behavior — one needs to lessen the emotional impact of the belief.
And the way to do that is to change one’s Perspective on the issue.
An Example (from the book):
“You can push on a moving car in many ways, and you won’t change its direction. But apply a little force on the steering wheel, and you begin moving in a new direction.”
“Perspective is the steering wheel of your belief system. Get hold of it, and your thoughts and beliefs will move more easily.”
How does Perspective Shift help?
Perspective shift lets you take an issue from an emotional level to an intellectual level.
Once there, you can compare — intellectually — what you are doing Vs. what the situation demands.
And change your behavior accordingly.
Warmerdam writes:
“When you change your perspective of the issue, not only do your thoughts and beliefs change, but so do your (negative) emotions.
The facts won’t change, but the interpretations you make, and therefore the emotions you feel, will change. Your beliefs will seem smaller, less valid, and changeable.”
An Example
I have a person ‘Deepak’ with whom I interact for work.
‘Deepak,’ I realized — after he had worked for me for some time — is a big mouth. He claims to know big, big things. But when I put him to it, he comes up short.
Initially, this annoyed me, and I used to pull him up.
Of late though, my frustration with Deepak has gone.
It struck me — Deepak is a big mouth, not deliberately, but because he is like that. It is just his nature.
Once I accepted it — my perspective changed - it no longer annoys me. I now take his big mouth into account and plan my work accordingly.
How does Perspective Shift help with Delegation?
Once your perspective shifts — You don’t lack delegation skills, but that it is the end result of what you are doing — you will shed the negative charge you feel on the subject of delegation.
With this new (positive) emotion, you will find it easier to convince yourself of the change that is required.
You will realize, “Okay, X are the things I valued as an Individual Contributor. Now, that I have become a manager, I need to start valuing Y.”
To help you adopt this new self-talk, I have made a poster that you can use as a reminder.
My Experience
Ever since I have come to know of the above, it has helped me to shed decades-old beliefs, of me not being good at Delegation.
- I have stopped the negative self-talk — “I am not good at delegation,” “I get sucked in details,” “I am a perfectionist,” etc.
- I find it easier to keep the big picture in mind.
- I find it easier to let go, to trust others.
- And when things do go wrong, I don’t have the urge to figure in minutest detail why it happened, of how it could have been avoided, etc.
- I find it easier to get the staff to correct the mistake, and see how it can be avoided in future.
- I find myself lighter, easier to imbibe the new values — trust the team - dictated by the situation.
A Caution Note:
Chances are you will see the above — perspective change — as minor.
Some mental hack without lasting change.
Gary Warmerdam cautions against it,
“In the beginning, perspective might seem so obvious or abstract that you will feel like glossing over the topic. However, when it comes to identifying and changing beliefs that affect our emotions, the importance of perspective cannot be overstated.”
I agree.
Example
Now, when I look back on my 30+ sessions with my executive coach, I realize that this is what has been happening all along.
The coach helps to change my perspective on issues during our hour-long sessions. This then leads to one of the following outcomes:
- In some cases, it helps me to imbibe the new behavior.
- In other cases, I stop seeing the issue as a problem that needs to be solved.
Conclusion
As adults, most of our issues are mental in nature. Once recognition comes in, behavior change is easier to implement.
Once you stop feeding the limiting beliefs — I suck at delegation — you will find it easier to incorporate the how-to’s of delegation — whom to delegate, how to delegate, authority vs. responsibility, etc.
The positive upward spiral will speed up your ability to delegate.
If you are in an Individual Contributor role, or a new Manager, I have created an eBook, ‘How to Get a 5 (Excellent) in Year-end Appraisal’. Download your copy.
