Am You Really Delegating?

As you give more responsibility and autonomy to your most capable direct reports, focus your conversation less on how they should approach a task and more on the what and why.  

                                                                                                                                                John Beeson

When I was a 20-something manager at IBM, I thought that delegating meant getting other people to do stuff I would be doing otherwise. I tried to "delegate" a task to one of my highly capable 40-something subordinates.  Problem was, I wanted him to do it the same way I would.  So I spent a lot of time explaining just how I wanted it done.

by purpleslog

I'll never forget his response.  "Look Sheila", he said, "if you tell me what results you want, and let me do it my way, I'll take responsibility for the results.  But, if you insist on having me do it your way, then you're going to be responsible for the results."

He really set me back on my heels!  My first thought was, "How insubordinate!" Luckily, I kept my thoughts to myself, took a deep breath, and realized that he was right.

In his HBR article, Stop Micromanaging and Learn to Delegate,  John Beeson explains:  I'ts important to realize that other people won't do things exactly the same way you would.  Challenge yourself to distinguish between the style in which direct reports approach tasks and the quality of the results."

See, I couldn't delegate anyway, unless my employee had the appropriate skills and experience. Since he was talented and capable, I could:

• Clearly specify the desired outcome
• Allow him freedom regarding the process, and 
• Hold him accountable for results.

I learned the hard way, but I learned.  And this approach was actually less work for me!