How do we make delegation easy?
By using the ‘GIVE’ Method and distributing tasks into smaller parts.
YOU wiLl LEARN
In this module, you’ll learn how to delegate effectively.
Why we avoid delegation
The G.I.V.E Method for delegation
Creating a buffer to ‘fail safely’
Giving feedback to land on a great product
KEY CONCEPTS IN THIS MODULE
TAKE A MOMENT TO REFLECT BEFORE DISCOVERING
Delegating is a relatively simple task. So why is it we experience such varied results? Often it’s because we don’t have a plan. We leave people to it and hope for the best.
Let’s imagine we do have a plan to deliver an amazing result.
If you could delegate elements of a large task, what would that free you up to have/do?
If you could delegate more frequently, what would that free you up to do more of?
Asking these questions is a great way to start thinking about how to shift from getting it ‘done’ to getting results.
FEAR / AVOID delegating?
There are a number of reasons why we avoid delegating. Sometimes it’s habit, legacy, fear of a team member not completing or delivering, and not feeling as though the team member is up to it. Here are questions you might like to ask yourself:
What stops me from delegating?
What would a future look like where my team members deliver quality work on time for me to edit and approve? What would that enable me to do?
Let’s get started.
Redefining your value as a leader.
As a leader, you have the opportunity to shift from seeing the value you add as ‘doing the work’ to:
Understanding that your job is to make sure the work gets done. You don’t need to be the person who does the work to be a good leader.
Knowing that if your team is successful when you’re not in the room, you’re doing well. If you need to be ‘in the room’ for your team to do the work, that’s a sign it’s time to learn how to delegate more effectively.
Understanding that your value now as a leader is building relationships and managing the outgoing of work.
Once you start to see your new role as less ‘on the tools’, and more ‘making sure the work gets done’, delegation starts to become a bit more appealing.
What to expect when delegating?
You can expect these things to happen when you first start delegating:
Your people will fail, or do it wrong, or wild, the first few times as they figure out what good looks like.
Expect to 3x the amount of time it’ll take for someone to take on a new task.
People will let you down and you’ll want to blame them for a bit.
You’ll let yourself down by breaking your own promises and diving in to fix problems that are your team’s to figure out.
Seeing your first few delegation moments as ‘experiments’ is a helpful first step.
The four steps to delegation.
COO of Acquisition Leila Hormozi talks about the four steps to delegation as being:
Getting information. Asking your team to do a small task, and then bringing that information back to you.
Informed progress. Asking your team member to take responsibility for an element of a task, then presenting it to you for feedback.
Informed results. Delegating full authority to a team member for a task and asking for a full update afterwards.
Full ownership. Asking a team member to take total responsibility, including making sure it gets done and not needing to tell you about it.
As a boss, your instinct is going to be to want to get people to number four.
But as Leila shows us, the better way to show you evidence that your team is on the right track, and to practise your feedback skills, is to start at step one, and work your way up, depending on the expertise of your team member (e.g. some will already be at the step three stage if more senior).
module - DELEGATE LIKE A PRO.
DOWNLOAD accompanying MATERIAL
AFTER WATCHING
It’s time to think about your game plan and put your learning into practice.
Here are thought starters to get you going:
Where can I put 2 hours in the diary to distribute tasks each week? Instead of a block of 2 hours, can I allocate 25 minutes every day?
When I think about delegating needing a ‘buffer’ for edits and feedback, can I delegate tasks earlier in the process to allow this?
If I’m under the pump, can I create a ‘template’ to copy and paste with delegation requirements. For example, you might write:
- The intent is for this to be used for…
- Examples of finished product here:
- Examples you can copy the format of here: