Last Updated 12 January, 2024

Delegation or Abdication?

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Delegation or Abdication?

When I deliver Rowan Consultancy's "Moving into Management" course, delegation is the topic which sparks the most interest - and action!

Why delegate? Most people say, "to save me time"; a few add "to develop my staff"; occasionally someone mentions "to develop the business". I used to deliver all Rowan's training, this limited our growth. I learnt to recruit, develop and delegate to other trainers, whilst still maintaining Rowan's trademark experiential approach and quality. Not only could the business do more training, but I was also freed up to explore other markets.

"But it takes so long to explain to someone how to do it", the Reluctant Delegator cries.

It's true that delegation requires short-term effort for long-term gain, but good leaders act for the long-term.

"They won't do it as well as me", he adds.

Maybe so - but what's the alternative? Ask yourself, "How much does it matter, if it's not done as well ?" It's sobering to realise how often the answer is "Not much". And anyway, how will they learn to do it better if you don't let them practice?

Remember delegation does not mean abdication of your responsibility. Here are 3 top tips on how to delegate:

  1. Set clear objectives

  2. Set clear parameters e.g. don't miss the deadline

  3. Set a monitoring schedule

If you are a perfectionist or a micro-manager, then delegation will be a real challenge for you. Tips will help, but real change is more likely to come from management training or coaching sessions. Our next course entitled Manager as Coach (20th March) may be the support you need.

Rachel Weiss
Rachel Weiss is a coach and trainer at Rowan Consultancy, an ILM training provider.


Rowan Consultancy, 121 Burghmuir Road, Perth, PH1 1JF. +44(0)1738 562005