How do you know if you need to delegate more?

Red flag No. 1: You say things like, “I’m overwhelmed. I get sucked into too many
meetings,” or “I’m drained by all of the decisions that I have to make.”

Red flag No. 2: Your ability to unplug can only be measured in hours, not days or weeks.

Red flag No. 3: You don’t delegate a task because a portion of the process is complex or has
exceptions.

Red flag No. 4: You once tried to delegate a responsibility and it didn’t go well, so you took
the task back.

Reg flag No. 5: You find yourself stuck in a decision bottleneck, leading to inaction on many
fronts.

Red flag No. 6: You aren’t happy or fulfilled at work.

Red flag No. 7: You claim you don't have time to delegate or train someone.

People, priorities, projects.

Here are steps you can take as a leader to develop your ability to delegate:

1. Notice where you are spending most of your time. If you saw yourself in many of the red
flags above, you are likely spending too much time on projects. It’s a great place to start to
delegate.

2. Have conversations with your top employees. Ask:

• Are you able to take on more work?

• Are you fully engaged?

• In what area(s) would you like to take on more responsibility?

• How can I empower you to make crucial decisions?

Discuss areas for you to begin to delegate. Start slowly and limit risk or exposure as you
delegate. For the company to succeed, you need your team's help to take things off your plate.
Identify the new capabilities that they might need and mentor them until they have the
confidence and skills to make good decisions.

3. Make sure that you follow up regularly for the handoff to succeed. Resist the urge to take
back what you delegated when a mistake is made. Both of you can learn from the mistake.
Continue to mentor as needed.

4. If you can’t delegate an entire process, delegate as much of the process as possible. Retain
oversight in the portion of the process that requires your attention.

5. Measure your success by the results of your delegating responsibilities. Their success
equals your success as a leader.

After a few months, ask your employees about their level of engagement and responsibilities.
What support do they need? Notice if you are spending more time on people and priorities
and less on projects. If things are going well, you will be spending more time on the key
strategy and vision that will impact the company, keeping you more engaged and fulfilled.

A CEO of a growing company once admitted to me several of the above flags applied to her.
We first identified the areas where she should be spending her time, developing her team and
the growth of the company. Then, we created a list of responsibilities she could delegate and
the people she could mentor. We started small and got early wins. Within six months, she
noticed a big difference in where she was spending her time. She felt rewarded by how her
team responded and by the weight that had been lifted off her shoulders. The company was
heading in a better direction too.

Where can you start to delegate?

Don't Just Delegate Downward

Delegating tasks isn't limited to just your support staff and those "beneath" you in the
company. To be a successful leader, you will have to delegate to your peers as well as your
support staff.

If you are a CFO, for instance, there may be times where a task is better suited for your CEO.
You need to be bold enough and take the initiative to do so. This also applies to those serving
on a board or equal governing authority where many of the board are equals, so to speak.

You must be able to delegate out tasks without seeming too bossy or authoritative. To keep
an organization running smoothly, someone must take the initiative, and it will help you grow
as a leader.

Explain the Task and Praise the Task

In a moment of frustration, it is common to delegate out tasks without completely explaining

the project. Unless you have a support staff that can read your mind, this usually leads to
disaster. Always have the same, consistent standards for your support staff, and explain
things as best as you can. While it may seem time-consuming now to explain a project, a
great leader knows when to slow down and show patience. If you have picked the wrong
person for the job, it may be time to re-delegate. Always share in the rewards and praise for a
task done right, especially one that has been delegated out.

Closing Thoughts

Delegating will save you time and create revenue, provided you focus on growing your
business. However, delegating is a lot more than assigning tasks – it will take a bit of time to
succeed at it and ultimately build a support staff that truly has your back.

Other factors that contribute to the delegability of a task include:

1. The project's timelines/deadlines.

o How much time is there available to do the job?
o Is there time to redo the job if it's not done properly the first time?
o What are the consequences of not completing the job on time?
2. Your expectations or goals for the project or task(s), including:
o How important is it that the results are of the highest possible quality?
o Is an "adequate" result good enough?
o Would a failure be crucial?
o How much would failure impact other things?

To Whom Should You Delegate?

The factors to consider here include:

1. The experience, knowledge and skills of the individual as they apply to the delegated task.
 o What knowledge, skills and attitude does the person already have?
o Do you have time and resources to provide any training needed?
2. The individual's preferred work style.
o How independent is the person?
o What does he or she want from his or her job?
o What are his or her long-term goals and interests, and how do these align with the
work proposed?
3. The current workload of this person.
o Does the person have time to take on more work?
o Will you delegating this task require reshuffling of other responsibilities and
workloads?

Tip:

When you first start to delegate to someone, you may notice that he or she takes longer than
you do to complete tasks. This is because you are an expert in the field and the person you
have delegated to is still learning. Be patient: if you have chosen the right person to delegate
to, and you are delegating correctly, you will find that he or she quickly becomes competent
and reliable.

How Should You Delegate?

Use the following principles to delegate successfully:

1. Clearly articulate the desired outcome. Begin with the end in mind and specify the desired
results.
2. Clearly identify constraints and boundaries. Where are the lines of authority, responsibility
and accountability? Should the person:
o Wait to be told what to do?
o Ask what to do?
o Recommend what should be done, and then act?
o Act, and then report results immediately?
o Initiate action, and then report periodically?
3. Where possible, include people in the delegation process. Empower them to decide what
tasks are to be delegated to them and when.
4. Match the amount of responsibility with the amount of authority. Understand that you can
delegate some responsibility, however you can't delegate away ultimate accountability. The
buck stops with you!
5. Delegate to the lowest possible organizational level. The people who are closest to the work
are best suited for the task, because they have the most intimate knowledge of the detail of
everyday work. This also increases workplace efficiency, and helps to develop people.
6. Provide adequate support, and be available to answer questions. Ensure the project's
success through ongoing communication and monitoring as well as provision of resources
and credit.
7. Focus on results. Concern yourself with what is accomplished, rather than detailing how the
work should be done: Your way is not necessarily the only or even the best way! Allow the
person to control his or her own methods and processes. This facilitates success and trust.
8. Avoid "upward delegation." If there is a problem, don't allow the person to shift
responsibility for the task back to you: ask for recommended solutions; and don't simply
provide an answer.
 9. Build motivation and commitment. Discuss how success will impact financial rewards, future
opportunities, informal recognition, and other desirable consequences. Provide recognition
where deserved.
10. Establish and maintain control.
o Discuss timelines and deadlines.
o Agree on a schedule of checkpoints at which you'll review project progress.
o Make adjustments as necessary.
o Take time to review all submitted work.

In thoroughly considering these key points prior to and during the delegation process you will
find that you delegate more successfully.

Keeping Control

Now, once you have worked through the above steps, make sure you brief your team member
appropriately. Take time to explain why they were chosen for the job, what's expected from
them during the project, the goals you have for the project, all timelines and deadlines and the
resources on which they can draw. And agree a schedule for checking-in with progress
updates.

Lastly, make sure that the team member knows that you want to know if any problems occur,
and that you are available for any questions or guidance needed as the work progresses.

We all know that as managers, we shouldn't micromanage. However, this doesn't mean we
must abdicate control altogether: In delegating effectively, we have to find the sometimes-
difficult balance between giving enough space for people to use their abilities to best effect,
while still monitoring and supporting closely enough to ensure that the job is done correctly
and effectively.

The Importance of Full Acceptance

When delegated work is delivered back to you, set aside enough time to review it thoroughly.
If possible, only accept good quality, fully-complete work. If you accept work you are not
satisfied with, your team member does not learn to do the job properly. Worse than this, you
accept a whole new tranche of work that you will probably need to complete yourself. Not
only does this overload you, it means that you don't have the time to do your own job
properly.

Of course, when good work is returned to you, make sure to both recognize and reward the
effort. As a leader, you should get in the practice of complimenting members of your team
every time you are impressed by what they have done. This effort on your part will go a long
way toward building team member's self-confidence and efficiency, both of which will be
improved on the next delegated task; hence, you both win.

Key Points

At first sight, delegation can feel like more hassle than it's worth, however by delegating
effectively, you can hugely expand the amount of work that you can deliver.
When you arrange the workload so that you are working on the tasks that have the highest
priority for you, and other people are working on meaningful and challenging assignments,
you have a recipe for success.

To delegate effectively, choose the right tasks to delegate, identify the right people to
delegate to, and delegate in the right way. There's a lot to this, but you'll achieve so much
more once you're delegating effectively!

Not at Very
RarelySometimesOften
2 Statements to Answer All Often

1 I make a point of explaining clearly what needs to be done.

2 I delegate things at the last minute.

3 I delegate larger projects to teams of people, giving them

appropriate responsibility and clearly defining their authority
for decision-making.

4 I provide directions at the start of the project and wait for

expected results at the agreed end-point.

5 If a task is directly related to my own objectives and

priorities, I choose not to delegate it.

6 I talk openly about consequences of missing deadlines and

expectations.

7 I delegate to anyone in the organization I figure could do the

work.

8 I use delegation as a means of developing others' skills.

9 I delegate work that is critical to the success of a project.

10 I expect delegates to come to me with solutions to

problems they encounter, instead of simply asking for more
instructions.

11 I delegate work that is confidential and sensitive in nature

as well as other work.

12 I consider how important employee involvement and buy-

in are to the projects and tasks that I delegate.

Total = 0

Score Interpretation
Score Comment

12- Your delegation skills need work. You delegate as a last resort, rather than as a useful
27 tool for improving your staff's skills and getting work done efficiently. Look at the
resources below to develop a successful delegation plan.
Score Comment

You're making progress. You understand the principles of delegating. However, you
28- like to occasionally cut corners and follow the easy path. Be more proactive in your
43 delegation strategy, and remember how important it is to involve staff and provide
them with enough time and support to succeed. The resources below can help you
improve your delegation skills and your confidence.
Excellent! You delegate under the right circumstances - and to the right people. You
44- understand that delegating requires enough time and support from you so that
60 everyone can be successful. You know that delegation is a key part of empowerment,
and your team is stronger because of it. (Read below for more.)

What and When to Delegate

(Questions 2, 5, 9, 11)

When you consider delegating, start by deciding what you can delegate and when. Know
when you should ask your staff to perform certain tasks and make decisions. Once you know
which tasks are appropriate to delegate, it's much easier to decide to whom - and how - to
delegate.

If you try to delegate work that's inappropriate or should be done by you, you'll probably fail
- despite your best planning and support. You might want to ask your strongest team member
to prepare a presentation for you, but if the words and thoughts aren't yours, chances are the
speech won't connect with the audience. Likewise, if you need a report completed for your
meeting in two hours, it may be inefficient to take half an hour to explain to someone else
what needs to be done. In that case, doing it yourself will likely save you time and stress.

Consider these points when you decide whether delegating is appropriate:

 Time - Do you have enough time to delegate? It takes money to make money, and it also
takes time to save time. You must be able to give sufficient instruction and support as
necessary. And you also need to give yourself enough time to make corrections if needed. (If
you don't have time, and for many this is a natural objection, you need to work out how to
find that time. See our time management section for more on this.)
 Availability - Is someone available to do the task? You must have people with the necessary
skills and expertise to complete the job successfully. Often, the best tasks to delegate are
those for which your staff members have more expertise or information than you do. If
they're closer to certain day-to-day activities, they may well perform better and faster than
you could.
 Criticality - Is the work critical to the success of the project or the organization? High profile
tasks that have a low tolerance for mistakes are often better done yourself. For instance,
responsibilities that have to do with strategic initiatives, recruitment of new team members,
confidential information or sensitive customer relationships are not typically delegation
material. If needed, delegate even more of your lower level work to make sure you have
time to do a superb job of the vital work.

For more information on what to delegate, see our article on Successful Delegation

.
How to Delegate

(Questions 1, 4, 6, 10)

A positive outcome can depend on how you actually hand over the task. You want to keep
morale high and ensure that your team readily accepts assignments from you, that work is
completed to expectations, and that you have more time for your own work. Effective
delegation requires crystal clear communication so that people know precisely what is
expected of them. It also requires letting go.

Here are some key things to consider:

 Clarify your expectations - Tell the person to whom you are delegating what you need
accomplished and why it's important. When he or she knows the desired results, it's much
easier to see the "big picture" and work accordingly. If possible, connect the task to
organizational goals.
 Establish checkpoints - Plan how you're going to ensure the work is being completed
according to plan by establishing checkpoints at the end of project stages. This doesn't mean
asking, "How's it going?" every hour - that would be oppressive. Manage the risk of mistakes
occurring by being proactive and staying in the loop at key points within the project.
 Delegate the results, not the process - Focus on the end result and, unless the person to
whom you're delegating is inexperienced, allow him or her to determine how best to
achieve it. If you dictate exactly what to do, when to do it, and how to do it, you limit the
learning potential, and you risk not taking proper advantage of the person's experience.
 Define your role - Explain how much support you'll provide. Let the person know whether to
wait for your instructions or make independent recommendations and decisions. Often, the
more authority you give, the better the end result will be - however, use your discretion,
depending on the task and the individual. Make sure the person understands whether
independent initiative is mandatory.
 Talk about consequences - If you allow people to have authority over their work, inform
them of the consequences of both successful and unsuccessful results. What rewards can
they expect if they do a great job? What will happen if they don't achieve the expected
results?

Read our articles on Avoiding Micromanagement

and The Delegation Dilemma

for even more ideas on how to delegate effectively for maximum payoffs.

Our Bite-Sized Training: Delegation session is a great place to practice your delegation skills
and apply them to your work right now. It walk you through deciding what tasks you can
delegate, to whom you should delegate, and how to go about it.

Tip:
Once you get used to delegating and your confidence builds, you can use proactive delegation
as an empowerment tool. Plan to delegate larger projects and more decisions.
Where appropriate, include your team in delegation decisions. Allow people to have a say in
what tasks they want to take on. This increases their motivation, empowers them, and
reinforces their value to the overall team.

As part of a training and development program you can encourage your team to discuss
assignments and even negotiate the amount and type of work they want to do. For more ideas
on this, see our Bite-Sized Scenario Training: Empowerment and Delegation session.

Who to Delegate to

(Questions 3, 7, 8, 12)

Delegating work to a person or team takes thought and consideration. If you delegate to the
wrong person, you may spend too much time instructing and supporting the work. If you
delegate too much to one person, you risk incomplete results, and an unhappy, over-stressed
individual.

Think about these issues when deciding to whom you should delegate:

 Organizational structure - Delegate to people who report to you. If you delegate to another
manager's staff, you put everyone in a difficult position. The manager is accountable for the
staff person's overall work, yet the person is accountable to you for the individual task.
Following the chain of command is a better solution. If you need to go outside your team,
include the other person's manager, and give that manager some responsibility (and credit)
for the outcome. Open communication is important when delegating across functional areas
or through different levels of an organization.
 Staff buy-in - Consider how committed you need your staff to be. Gaining their cooperation
and support in the delegating decision can be critical to success. They'll feel more involved
and more committed to the results. (The Vroom-Yetton-Jago decision model

 helps you think about when this is and isn't appropriate.)

 Individual vs team - Some tasks can be easily completed by one person. But when you
delegate bigger pieces of work, think about how many people should be involved and what
skills you need.

Have a look at our article on Task Allocation

for more information on who best to delegate work to.

Key Points

Delegation doesn't come naturally to most of us, and we can often think it's easier and safer to
do everything ourselves. Unfortunately, this approach often leads to more stress and less time
to work on our priorities.

Delegation is a time management strategy that you must practice. You can't do everything –
so decide what you must do yourself and what you can delegate to others. When you learn to
delegate effectively, you'll be rewarded with more time and a more empowered and satisfied
staff. That's a win-win!
This site teaches you the skills you need for a happy and successful career; and this is just one
of many tools and resources that you'll find here at Mind Tools. Subscribe to our free
newsletter, or join the Mind Tools Club and really supercharge your career!

OBJECTIVES

1. Describe the value of delegation.

2. Recognize barriers to successful delegation.
3. Explain the steps in effective delegation.
4. Choose the right person for the right task.
5. Delegate the correct level of authority.
6. Use questions to generate buy-in, coach, and confirm understanding.
7. Monitor delegated tasks.

Delegation is assigning responsibility and authority to someone in order to complete a clearly

defined and agreed upon task while you retain ultimate responsibility for its success.

Delegation is important for 1) efficiency and 2) development.

Efficiency

Delegation improves efficiency when it allows work to be transferred to people whose skills
are a better match for the work. You are in charge of planning and strategizing the next steps
for your team. When your teammates are able to carry out most of the routine activities
required of your team, it will allow you the time and effort needed to plan for your team’s
next move. As experienced by the leader of the LL2, this efficiency may also lessen your
stress.

Development

As a team leader, you possess important skills and abilities that you can pass on to your team
members. The best way of doing this is to coach them in the new skills and then delegate
tasks to them so that they may use those new skills. Delegating is a great way of encouraging
your team members to develop themselves and for you to develop coaching and mentoring
skills.

HBR Case

Carla was killing off her leading man. And it felt good—but not perfect. She drummed her
fingers on the editing desk and squinted at the monitors in front of her as she scrolled through
footage from the season finale of Dope, her production company’s long-running drama series
about DEA agents.

“What’s wrong?” asked Melanie, who had written and directed the episode.
“In that last scene, we need quicker cuts between the fire at the lab and the flashbacks. And
the song isn’t right. Viewers should be sad, yes, but mostly shocked. This is their hero
dying—without any warning.”

Melanie looked upset, and Carla felt a pang of guilt. Dope was supposed to be Melanie’s
now. Carla had handed over showrunner1 responsibilities to her protégé last year so that she’d
have more time to spend on the other two series that C3 Productions had on the same
network, RBN. But this scene—capping Dope’s 10th season with the surprise death of a main
character—was too important to Carla. She’d pushed Melanie to go for a blockbuster finale
and helped her write the script. She had to make sure the execution was right, too.

CASE STUDY CLASSROOM NOTES

1“Showrunner” is an industry term for the person who oversees day-to-day operations of a show,
including script writing, directing, and editing.

“The network wants a final cut by midnight,” Melanie said tensely.

Carla looked at the time: 3 PM. She’d been on the set of 911, her police drama now in its
second year, since early morning and was scheduled to do a script read-through with the cast
of Forty Stories, her newest series, about the residents of a Manhattan high-rise, from
afternoon into evening. She’d intended to stop by the Dope set only briefly, to give Melanie’s
work a final sign-off. But now she’d have to come back, sacrificing the 9-to-midnight
window she’d hoped to spend working on a new idea: a sitcom-length “dramedy” about aging
that would be something totally new—and exciting—for C3. She’d been trying to write the
pilot for months,but working 13 hours or more a day,2 she just couldn’t find the time.
Melanie wasn’t the only one feeling frustrated.

2Should this work schedule be expected for someone in Carla’s position? Is it sustainable?

“I’ll come back tonight,” Carla said. “It’s almost there,” she added.

“Sure,” Melanie said glumly. “But we still need ‘that Carla magic.’”

Carla gave a tight smile. Michael Love, RBN’s head of programming, had first used those
words nine months before,at the annual “upfront” presentation,3 when networks give ad
buyers a preview of their new seasons and shows. Word had leaked that Melanie was taking
over Dope, though Carla would stay on as co-executive producer. When people asked what
that meant, Michael had assured them that every C3 show on RBN would still have “that
Carla magic”—an emotional center, sharp dialogue, and surprising plot twists—that garnered
high ratings, especially in the coveted 18- to 34-year-old demographic.

3Networks sell the bulk of their prime-time ads during the “upfront” period, which typically occurs in
late May.

Now the term had become something of a catchphrase with the network suits. When Carla
nominated assistant producers to write scripts or direct, the concern was always “Do they
have your magic?” When RBN sent notes on first cuts of shows, the feedback was often
“Needs more C.M.”
Though Carla had initially been flattered by Michael’s endorsement, she’d come to resent it.
Juggling three shows, all on demanding 24-episode schedules,4 she wasn’t sure she had
enough magic to go around anymore.

4Most network series run for 22 to 24 episodes from late September through May. Many cable
series, by contrast, run markedly fewer, often around 10 episodes a year.

Under Pressure

As Carla headed to the Forty Stories set, her phone rang. It was Michael. “Did you see last
night’s ratings?”

“Michael, you know I don’t check next-day numbers.”

“It wasn’t good.”

“It was a busy night with the NBA playoffs. People DVR’d us. We’ll see pickup over the
weekend.”

“We didn’t last week—not enough. Look, Melanie’s a capable producer. But she still needs
your oversight.”5

5In order to maintain Dope’s high quality but also free up time in her own schedule, what level of
oversight should Carla be giving Melanie?

“I know, and she has it,” Carla said.

“How’s the finale shaping up? I hope you’re taking the reins back for this one. It’s
important.”

“I’m working on it with Melanie tonight. But Michael, I can’t manage three shows without
delegating. I tried last season, and it’s just not sustainable. I barely slept.I need Melanie to run
Dope, and I’m hoping that next year, on 911, Keston can do more directing and script
writing.”6

6How will Carla know when her assistants are ready for more responsibility?

“We can’t do that—it’s too soon. We were lucky to avoid a second-year slump. We need you
to be completely hands-on.”

“Then we have to think about cutting episodes. We could move from 24 to 16, start later in
September, and take a longer winter hiatus. I’d have more time for all three shows if the
schedule weren’t so tight.”

“Carla, we—you—have three of the top 15 shows on television. The market is shrinking—
and getting more fragmented7 —but the revenue from your shows is going up. Dope still
pulls in $150 million a year in ads, and the others are close. That’s huge money—for us and
for you. And you want to cut back? If I suggested that to Bill,” he said, referring to RBN’s
president, “I’d be laughed out of the room.”
7Today there are more than 50 national U.S. television networks. Owing to this fragmentation and
the advance of digital media, the most popular scripted shows on TV now draw about 14 million
viewers per episode, on average, down from averages of more than 20 million per episode in the
1980s.

“If you want me to keep giving you good shows with high ratings, I need time to be creative,”
she countered. “And I don’t have that right now.”

“You’ll have the summer.”

“To write scripts and plot story lines. It’s the same treadmill. I can’t work on anything new.”

“You know you’ll never really give up control. These are C3 shows: Carla Tremont
Productions. It’s your name. They’re your babies. And you’re a perfectionist. That’s why we
love you.”

He was right; they were her babies, and she couldn’t imagine ever fully letting them go. But
she had to do something to give herself more time to think. “Michael, I was due at a read-
through 10 minutes ago.”

“Sure—just one more thing: Did you say you’re working on something new?”

“No,” she answered, with only a moment’s hesitation. It was technically the truth—but she
still felt guilty.

When she’d first conceived of 911 and Forty Stories, she’d floated them with RBN right
away. C3 was under contract to give the network the right of first refusal to any new shows,
andMichael had been a terrific, if tough, partner since the early days of Dope.8 But her new
idea was edgier, more explicit—not at all right for RBN. She envisioned it airing on a cable
network like AMC or HBO, or maybe Netflix, Amazon, or the new media upstart that was
getting so much buzz, Cascade.

8Given Carla’s first-look agreement with RBN, what obligation does she have to create only shows
appropriate for that network? Could pitching elsewhere jeopardize her relationship with Michael
and RBN?

How could she explain to Michael that she wanted to scale back on her existing showsso that
she could create a new one she’d most likely pitch to a competitor?9 And what if the dramedy
idea failed? She’d worked incredibly hard for her three hits and knew that the ride—an
amazing and lucrative one—wouldn’t last forever. Maybe she should suck up the workload
and enjoy her success while it lasted.

9The formal pitching season for broadcast networks runs from July to October. Networks might see
500 ideas, buy the rights to 60, and, after discussions with show creators, order 12 pilot episodes to
be produced.

Heart to Heart

The Forty Stories read-through took longer than expected. The script, from another of Carla’s
up-and-coming producers, needed tweaking, and she’d been too busy to eat dinner. Munching
on a bag of almonds, she made her way back to C3. Two hours later, at a little before
midnight, she and Melanie had nailed their scene. She was exhausted but exhilarated.

“Just in time,” Melanie said, yawning. “Thanks. I didn’t want to ask you for help, but I
clearly needed it. I feel mostly on top of things, but it’s good to work together again.”

“Next year will be easier,” Carla said.

“Maybe,” Melanie said. “But I’ll never be you. I had a drink with Keston the other night, and
he feels the same way. At the end of the day, these are your shows, not ours, and it’s hard to
run them without you.”

“No one’s asking you to be me. What we need is more ‘Melanie magic.’”

Melanie brightened. “Hey, are we still going to that top-women-in-TV breakfast tomorrow?”

Carla groaned inwardly. “I’m not speaking, am I? Do we both need to go?”

“You’re not presenting, but it won’t be pretty if I show up without you.”

“OK, then. Let’s call it a night.”

A Proposition

Carla walked into the Beverly Hilton ballroom the next morning and ran into Dale Grossman,
the new head of content at Cascade. She’d met him at the previous year’s Emmys, when he
was still at HBO.

“Carla, great to see you again.”

“You, too, Dale. Congrats on the move to Cascade.”

“Thanks; I’m really fired up about it. Huge shows coming up—one from Tarantino, the other
from Clooney, acting and directing. Limited series, of course. Can’t tie these big stars
down.But top-notch production, filmed on location, amazing scripts and casts.” 10

10Streaming services that offer high-profile shows such as House of Cards and Transparent have
fundamentally changed the dynamics of the TV industry in recent years. Is this a trend Carla needs to
be a part of?

“Expensive,” Carla replied.

“Well, our investors believe that content is still king. Of course, I don’t have to tell you that!
You’re the queen of RBN.”

“You’re too kind.”

“Seriously, three shows—on that grueling network timetable. And you still find time for
business breakfasts!”
“I try,” Carla said drily.

“Would you have time for lunch at Cascade? Our CEO would love to hear your perspective
on the industry, what audiences really want, how our shows stack up. I know you’re locked in
at RBN, but—”

“I’m not locked in,” she interrupted. “RBN gets a first look, but we’re not tied to them.”

“Of course. Well, if you’re ever ready to do something different, we’d love to discuss it.”

He handed her a card, and Carla took it. Part of her wanted to leave right then and there to
write the pilot, schedule the meeting, make the pitch. But she couldn’t. She had to be on the
Forty Stories set in an hour, to make sure that finale was perfect, too.

Later, she considered her situation. She had more magic left in her. But she wasn’t sure she
could sprinkle it across three shows and a new venture. She’d have to cede control to Melanie
and Keston, or she’d have to convince Michael that the series would benefit from fewer
episodes in the long run, even if RBN and C3 took a financial hit in the short term. The only
other option was to convince herself that the dramedy idea wasn’t so urgent;she could set it
aside and wait for things to slow down in a few years, as they surely would.11

11The longest-running drama series in the modern era include Law & Order (20 seasons), Law &
Order: Special Victims Unit (19), NCIS (15), CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (15), and ER (15).

That was all the thinking she had time for, though: Her casts and crews and viewers were
waiting.

Question: Should Carla focus on her hit series or cede control and start the next new
thing? The Experts Respond
Sarah Barnett is the president and general manager of BBC America.

Carla needs to have a candid discussion with Michael and other RBN executives about the
production philosophy of Dope, 911, and Forty Stories going forward. Obviously, Carla, C3,
and RBN want to maintain high quality, strong viewership, and robust revenues. But to ask
Carla to bring her “magic” touch to every episode of all three shows is not sustainable.

And the process of making television is changing. The disruption brought on by cable and
now streaming services has opened the door to new approaches. Broadcast networks are still
more entrenched in a certain model and rhythm, so it’s no surprise that RBN is clinging to
that tradition. But the fact that Carla’s three series started at 24 episodes per season, fall to
spring, doesn’t mean they have to continue that way. Many networks have begun to show
more flexibility and order fewer episodes, especially when high-level talent is involved.

A few years ago, I was overseeing a very auteur-driven scripted show. The creator worked in
a handcrafted, sequential way, similar to how films and European TV shows are made. This
meant that on some occasions it took more time to deliver a batch of shows than was typical,
and so we had to premiere new seasons at different times of year. The number of episodes per
season also varied. In my judgment, forcing the show into a more standardized format would
have killed its genius. The creator had such a particular point of view, and we thought—
rightly, I hope—that fans of his storytelling cared more about integrity of tone and substance
than about regular air dates.

Of course, more and better delegation is also something Carla needs to put into action, given
that she has so many shows on the go. This would require significant cultural and behavioral
change at both C3 and RBN, and from Carla herself. She is very nurturing of Melanie and
Keston—always ready to give advice, run interference with the network, and play the 11th-
hour savior when needed. However, her protégés won’t stop thinking of themselves as
number twos until she weans herself off that role, trusts them to execute on their own, and
empowers them to communicate directly with RBN. The tension for her will be in accepting
that people won’t always make the choices she would.

In her phone call with Michael, Carla pitched both ideas—rethinking the production schedule
and downsizing her responsibilities—yet she backed off after he resisted. She needs to make
him see that it is as much in the network’s interest as hers to find new ways to collaborate.

When a star performer says “I’m burned-out,” the manager has to listen.

In a face-to-face meeting somewhere “human” (that is, outside the office), she should explain
that although they are both invested in the C3–RBN relationship and in keeping the three hit
series healthy over the long term, she is stifled creatively and wants time to work on a new
idea that’s important to her. Together—with thoughtful honesty and input from her team and
other network executives—they should then problem-solve and agree on a more sustainable
schedule and set of expectations and roles for the existing shows, thereby freeing Carla up for
a set period of time.

Media executives today understand that different shows are suited to different platforms.
While Michael may not like the idea that Carla wants to develop a show that’s not a fit for his
network, he will most likely realize that RBN will benefit from giving its hitmaker the chance
to regain her creative energy, potentially generating some industry buzz, and, crucially, not
killing the goose that lays the golden eggs.

When a star performer says “I’m burned-out and unable to give you my best work,” his or her
manager has to listen. It’s time for Carla to have that conversation with Michael

Melissa James Gibson is a co-showrunner for the Netflix series House of Cards.

Carla has built a brand and a business around her three hit shows, so I understand her
reluctance to disrupt the status quo. She has a responsibility to keep her hits—and the C3
enterprise—running smoothly. But she is also a highly ambitious artist, and if that creative
self is pushing her to try something new, I think she needs to pay attention. What’s best for
her might not be best for her company, and vice versa. But if her brand doesn’t evolve with
her, it will lose its relevance.

Creators of popular TV series have successfully handed the reins to new showrunners and
transitioned to other projects without the shows’ suffering declines in viewership or
accolades. Veep, on HBO, went through a handoff last year and continues to get Emmy
nominations. The Walking Dead, on AMC, and The West Wing, which ran on NBC from
1999 to 2006, also survived changes in creative leadership. And along with Frank Pugliese, I
was lucky enough to take over the showrunning of House of Cards when Beau Willimon
moved on.

But changes at the top work only when everyone involved understands that new leadership
will inevitably precipitate an evolution in content. Melanie’s and Keston’s decisions will
never exactly mirror Carla’s. But different isn’t necessarily wrong. It’s possible that Carla
and especially Michael are underestimating the abilities of her protégés. Even if they’re not
unicorns like her, they are certainly rare breeds—hired and promoted because she sensed they
had their own “magic.”

No manager can know with 100% certainty if and when an employee is ready for a top job.
However, Carla seems to think that Melanie is, with Keston close behind. So why wait?
Given Carla’s desire to explore new territory, now seems like a good time to give them a
chance, just as Michael took a chance on her.

And Carla has the clout to make this happen. Although RBN might prefer that she stay in a
more hands-on role, it has a vested interest in keeping her happy and engaged, and there’s no
reason why Dope, 911, and Forty Stories can’t keep going while she takes a few months to
write a pilot. She has given the network so much; the least it can do is let her scratch this itch.
One thing is clear: Carla needs time to stare at a wall and dream a little.

If the network stonewalls, she might need to get really brave and break her contract. But I
suspect that they’ll be able to find a compromise. After all, Carla will always be emotionally
invested in the shows she developed from the germs of ideas. After a constructive break, she
may well choose to reinvolve herself to some degree—deferring most decisions to the new
showrunners and weighing in when necessary.

In the end, Carla is craving a change. She has mastered the realm of network drama and is
now drawn to the world of cable/streaming, an arena in which there are fewer restrictions and
greater opportunities to push the artistic envelope. At times, she’ll no doubt feel
destabilized—all eyes will be on her in a sometimes unforgiving industry—but she’s talented
and smart and will figure it out.

Even though so many decisions in entertainment are driven by fear, Carla’s fearlessness has
always served her well. If she doesn’t make the leap now, I think she’ll regret it. In an era of
peak TV, her idea could lose currency within a year or two; the moment for it might pass, or
a peer might develop a similar show. So she needs to trust her gut. She’s not the same artist
or person that she was when she first developed Dope. There’s a reason she can’t stop
thinking about the new project: In her heart, she knows it will leave her much more
exhilarated and artistically satisfied than limiting herself to territory she’s already conquered.
Carla’s instincts are her most valuable asset.

A version of this article appeared in the November–December 2017 issue (pp.157–161) of Harvard
Business Review
Purpose

Delegation is a great way to save time. Apart from saving time, delegation helps motivate
your staff by giving them responsibility. Your team will benefit by participating in activities
and the decision making process and therefore becomes more capable and autonomous over
time. The organisation will benefit from having a pool of staff that can cover each other, take
more responsibility and resolve issues on their own.

As a result, a manager must constantly think about delegating tasks to others not just to save
time but also to help the team grow and become more capable.

Depending on how much control you want to have over a delegated task, you can choose
from one of the six levels of delegation to control the outcome and also how much time you
want to save.

In this exercise, participants will learn about these six levels and will participate in an activity
to better understand them.

Objective

Consider a particular task that you want to delegate to members of your team and decide
which level of delegation is ideal for your specific requirements.

What You Need

 A copy of the “Delegation Form” for each participant provided below.

Setup

 Divide the participants to pairs. If you have an odd number of participants, use a
group of 3.
 Brief the participants about delegation and go through the following 6 levels to
explain how a manager can incrementally gain time by giving more control away to a
delegatee. The 6 levels are presented from the managers point of view:

1. Do exactly as I say. Here is the situation and what I have decided.

  Impact on Control: You have total control over the delegation and the decision
making process.
 Impact on Your Time: This provides absolute control but also requires substantial time
on your side.

2. Look into this and inform me about various options. I will then decide.

 Impact on Control: You now trust the delegatee to perform a thorough research which
you can then safely use to make a decision.
 Impact on Your Time: You can spend less time on this as the delegatee will help you
on the task. However, since you are making the decision, you will still need to go over
the details and spend some time on the task.

3. Consider this problem and give me your recommendation on how to proceed. I will
then decide and share my decision with you.

 Impact on Control: You expect the delegatee to provide recommendations so you

only have to use your intuition to confirm the decision rather than carrying the
analysis yourself.
 Impact on Your Time: You spend less time on the task as you don’t have to spend as
much time on the decision making process. However, since you retain control, if the
need arises you can quickly take over and make sure the task is carried out with the
right quality.

4. Explore this issue and make a decision. Check with me before going ahead with the
decision.

 Impact on Control: You delegate the task and the decision making, but still retain
control in going ahead with a decision.
 Impact on Your Time: You spend only a small amount of time “signing off” the tasks.
As you are relying heavily on the delegatee for the analysis and the decision, you can
save considerable amount of time.

5. Solve this problem. Consider the following parameters. So long as these parameters
are satisfied you can make a decision and go ahead with it. Otherwise, check with me.

 Impact on Control: You now trust the delegatee to research and make a decision so
long as it is within the limits that you set.
 Impact on Your Time: Minimal time is spent by you mainly to define the task and set
the parameters. You are holding the delegatee accountable and have significantly
reduced the amount of time needed on your side.

6. Here is the problem. I want you to take care of it. I trust your judgement. Here are
the resources available for it. Do what it takes to solve it.

 Impact on Control: You have given ultimate control over the task and the decision
making process. The delegatee is now accountable and responsible for the outcome
and you have made this very clear. This is a high-level delegation and is usually
carried out on strategic decision making when delegating to people who have a high
level of autonomy and control over their roles.
  Impact on Your Time: The impact on your time is extremely small. The delegation
activity is carried out more as a consultation or a discussion on resources and how
decisions could impact other areas of work as oppose to a straight forward delegation
activity.

 Distribute the “Delegation Forms” to all participants.

 Ask each pair to take turns and consider a particular task that they want to delegate to
a member of their team.
 Ask the delegates to record their answers in their forms.
 Allocate about 15 minutes for this part.
 Bring back everyone together and ask each pair to share their cases.
 Encourage other groups to provide feedback.
 Follow with a general discussion. Most people may know what level of delegation
they are comfortable with, but may not know how to progress forward. Emphasise the
benefits of moving up the delegation levels. Use the examples provides by various
groups to initiate this discussion and use it to illustrate the process.

Timing

Explaining the Exercise: 10 minutes

Activity: 15 minutes

Group Feedback: 15 minutes

Discussion

Are you delegating at the right level? What should you do to be able to delegate at a higher
level? What are the specific benefits of delegation at a higher level to you and your team?
What did you think of delegation examples of other groups? Where you inspired by their
techniques and approach? Can you use these techniques when managing your own team?

Delegation Form

1. Consider a task that you want to delegate to your team members or your colleagues and
record it below.
2. Choose a delegation level from the “6 Levels of Delegation” that is suitable for the task
and the delegatee. Describe how you approach the delegation task and record it below.

3. What strategies would you use to gradually increase the level of delegation in order to save
more time and increase the efficiency of your team and organisation? Record your strategy
below so you can discuss it later with the class.

Overview :

Congratulations! You finally got the assistant you always wanted. To start off this delegation
exercise tell participants to imagine that finally management in your company realized how
hard you are working and decided to appoint an assistant for you, It's great news for you but
it means you have to start delegating some of your work.

Tools/Items required :

Delegation Observer worksheet (Please see below)

Setup :

Ask each participant to think of the one task they hate the most in their actual day to day jobs
because finally they will get the chance to delegate this task to their newly appointed personal
assistant.

 Work in groups of three to practice delegating.

 Three different roles
 Delegator
 Employee
 Observer
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Note : the observer will use the observer sheet below to give feedback at the end of the
exercise

 Each round:
 Delegator explains situation (2 minutes)
 Practice delegation (8 minutes)
 Observer feedback (5 minutes)
 Three rounds:
 Each person changes role in each round.

For more about proper delegation steps, click here.

Round 1 Round 2

Round 3
Delegation observer worksheet

Did the delegator explain the importance of the task?

Comments : Yes No

Did the delegator explain how to do the task?

Comments : Yes No

Did the delegator present the expected results in a SMART goal?

Comments : Yes No

Did the delegator give the employee the authority to do the task?

Comments: Yes No

Did the delegator set a deadline and checkpoints?

Yes No
Comments:
Did the delegator ask the employee to summarize the task?
Yes No
Comments:
Did the delegator encourage the employee to ask questions?

Comments: Yes No
 DELEGATION POKER CASES

 A manager that thinks he delegates everything, but, actually, after asking something
he can’t stop telling the team how to do and when to do it;
 A manager that believes he and the team agree with everything, when actually the
team see he is selling solutions and fell they don’t have other option;
 And of course, situations where the team always ask for permission when the manager
expects that he is only asked for advice.
 Hiring decision – if the team can hire one more team member. How should all
roles be involved in deciding about a candidate
 Agile process changes – e.g. if the team would like to switch to ScrumBan instead
of Scrum
 Holiday approval – how is the decision path for standard holidays (e.g. up to 2
weeks)
 Team event – based on a given team budget, how can the team decide on a team
event to do
