Delegation

RESPONSE VIDEO
Virtual Leadership Coach on Last Week's Questions

hi everyone we've just completed another week of leadership Essentials and this week the topic was communication
and there were many different aspects to the communication module so for those of you who contributed this week I really appreciate it thank you
interesting first of all the memes and the cartoons that you posted were really funny so thanks I got a really I got a kick out
of them
secondly many of you mentioned that there was a realization that these skills and strategies are not just limited to our
Russian allies in our workplace
but when they're used in our personal lives have a pretty good outcome and I can attest to that when I'm conscious of my communication skills
when I asked an open question versus a closed fact-based question
conversations in the family go a lot better
so I just want to remind you that these are not exclusive to the workplace
and I encourage you to try them out on family
secondly we looked at feedback in the power of feedback I have to tell you some of your stories were just so inspirational
and even if the feedback was delivered in a way that perhaps wasn't polished or skillful
perhaps it was really critical
it really had an impact even early in our careers
and oftentimes that feedback change the trajectory of our own careers
and we really have been aspiring to be able to give that feedback to those we lead today
we also looked at the topic of listening
and in fact it was one of the topics that many of you mentioned with something that you are in fact focused on
now listening you know why is it so hard to listen why is it such a challenge
well one of your colleagues
wrote that
he realized you really wasn't listening what he was really doing was waiting for his turn to speak
and I think we can all relate to that
so why is listening so challenging you know when you think about it there's so much going on in our heads we're always pressed for time
when we're listening or we're kind of listening we're usually formulating our own answers

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and often times when we are someone else's speaking we kind of get the gist of what they're trying to say and we want to jump
in with a solution because we're wired through problem solvers
and yet in fact when we're listening well we're sending a very strong message that we value what we're hearing
and we're really considering what other people are speaking about
so
A very wise manager once shared this with me
and he said that you know when you're listening if your first impulse is to we ignore reject or jump in
to take a breath
and ask an open question
because it does two things first of all it slows down our brain
and second of all it sends a message to the speaker that we really are in fact listening and considering what they have to say
and if we can't think of an open question just simply say tell me more
and it pretty much has the same impact
it's funny too because in our listening
research we found that listening is one of the top development needs for leaders at all levels
so I encourage you not only to really think about and be very focused on your listening skills but also ask a family member a friend
a spouse
a partner
to give you feedback on your listing
and I think you'll probably be happily surprised but you might learn a few things
so
next week
the topic is delegation and this is where we really bring many of the skills we've already explored into Focus
because to delegate effectively we have to first of all know our team members
have a level of trust with them
and then also we have to really fight sometimes the urge to do it ourselves because we can often times do it better and faster so
we're going to explore that topic and also we have office hours in the upcoming weeks so I really hope you'll be able to join us
it's always a lively conversation and
I always learn a lot I'm sure you will too
so anyway meanwhile
I will see you on the platform and hope to see you next week and office hours bye for now

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This Week's Plan

Big Ideas
We'll work toward these objectives this week:

I trust the members of my team, and delegate I can employ practical strategies to break
to empower, develop, and motivate them. down the barriers standing in the way of
becoming a better delegator.

Topics:
 Delegating effectively
 Common barriers to delegation
 Planning and communication

One small step...

When team members feel empowered, but not overburdened, you take one small step towards moving your whole team closer to the apex of the X-
Model.
Activities:
 Quiz: What Type of Delegator Are You?
 Discussion: What Activities Did You Delegate?
 Discussion: What Gets in the Way of Delegating?
 Mission: Three Tales of Delegation
 Quiz: To Delegate or Not to Delegate
 Discussion: Your Best Tips and Tricks to Delegate
 Quiz: What Does Delegation Look Like at Your Organization?

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Est. Time
Plan to complete this week's content in roughly 60–90 minutes, but remember that you don't need to complete it all in one sitting.

Introduction to Delegation

Introduction to Delegation
As managers, the people we work with need a lot from us. We need to get things done and produce results. At the same time, it’s important to make
sure we are inspiring and developing the people we lead.
So how do we do that? How do we inspire and motivate our people and drive results and accountability?
One great way to both develop others and produce results is to delegate. Delegation can help you accomplish more by leveraging the skills and
talents of those on your team. At the same time, delegation creates opportunities for people you lead to gain new knowledge and skills that will help
them unleash their potential and take increased ownership of the work they do.
When you delegate effectively, you not only help others develop on a personal level, you help them gain expertise and a sense of accountability that
will empower them to achieve exceptional results. When they achieve results, they are contributing to your success as a leader and to organizational
success.
If you’re aspiring to lead larger teams, manage more impactful projects, and amplify the impact you have on the organization, learning to delegate with
skill and confidence will be essential for your success.
John Maxwell, a leadership expert said, “If you want to do a few small things right, do them yourself. If you want to do great things and make a big
impact, learn to delegate!”

Weekly Questions

If you have any questions after completing the activities or material this week, please post them here.
Next week, your Virtual Leadership Coach will respond to a few questions with a video.

Your Virtual Leadership Coach serves as a guide on this leadership journey, and wants to hear from you along the way. Please share openly, be
authentic, and feel empowered to respond to others' questions if you have helpful input or experience.

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 So, what questions do you have?
Click Create a Thread to ask a question or click a title to respond to someone else.

How you think about delegation and accomplishing tasks impacts your team in big ways.

SELF-ASSESSMENT
What Type of Delegator Are You?

Welcome
How do you get things done? Through others? Or do you do it all yourself? Take this short quiz to determine what type of
delegator you are.

Respond to each of the following statements to find out.

Click Next to continue.

Question 1 of 10

I delegate:

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Everything I am able. Mostly little or Nothing. No one else
tedious stuff. can do it.

Question 2 of 10

What is your delegation philosophy?

I delegate to help I delegate to help get No one touches the

others develop and things off my “to-do” “to-do” list but me!
grow. list.

Question 3 of 10

Yes, each and every time. If I have time. No. If I’m telling them what
to do, they’ll know it’s
important.

SUBMIT

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 Question 4 of 10

Do you delegate responsibilities that match your team members’ individual abilities?

Often Sometimes Almost never

SUBMIT

Question 5 of 10

How frequently do you follow up after you delegate?

Often Sometimes Almost never

SUBMIT

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 Question 6 of 10

Do you take your work home with you?

Often Sometimes Almost never

SUBMIT

Question 7 of 10

When you assign a task/project, do you give your team members a say in how they accomplish it?

Yes, I let them use To some extent. I like them No, I must approve each
discretion on how they to check in to make sure and every step along the
accomplish the goal. we’re on the same page. way.

SUBMIT

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 Question 8 of 10

Do you delegate to all team members evenly?

Yes, every team A couple team I have my favorite

member has key members get person who gets
strengths. tasks/projects. everything.

Question 9 of 10

How often do you not delegate because you think you can do a task better yourself?

Almost never Sometimes Often

SUBMIT

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 Question 10 of 10

How often do you not delegate because you think you can do a task faster yourself?

Almost never Sometimes Often

SUBMIT

Delegation and X-Model

After taking the last self-assessment, you should have a better sense of your outlook and approach towards delegation. Now let's start refining this
approach so that you can use delegation as a tool to create maximum engagement at work. Listen to the audio below and consider how delegation
should work, based on the benefits it can provide.

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Delegation Interview Guide
What's Here?
Now that you understand the benefits of delegation for you, your team, and your organization, let’s see what your team thinks. Click Download to
download this Interview Guide and complete this short assignment to learn about others’ perceptions of delegation.

What Activities Did You Delegate?

Click a thread below.
Then respond to a peer or share your initial thoughts. (Or, if you're a rock star, do both!)

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 Your Team & Delegation

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Did you find any projects/tasks that you could delegate more or less of based on the Interview Guide?
Or, do you need help thinking of ideas? Ask your peers here!
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You & Delegation

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What is your confidence level in delegating for engagement?

Tell us why, and what plans you have to maintain/improve that confidence.
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What Gets in the Way of Delegating?

Despite everything you know about the benefits of delegation, there's also a lot of pressure to be a leader and sometimes things get in the way of us
delegating effectively. When you are faced with the choice to delegate or not to delegate, what excuses do you make for doing the tasks yourself?

What's kept you from delegating in the past?

Click Share My Thoughts below to answer the poll, and then click Send.
Remember, this poll is anonymous. Once you have submitted your response, you will see what others in the group had to say.

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We all deal with these challenges! In the next mission, Three Tales of Delegation, you'll see how other leaders have handled (or mishandled) similar
challenges.

MISSIONS
Three Tales of Delegation

This activity will help you establish a standard for delegating with a growth mindset. You will meet three leaders, all with different ideas of how and
why to delegate. Then, complete a quick activity for each leader that highlights how the delegation was successful or unsuccessful.
Click Start Mission to begin.
Estimated time: 5–10 min.
Ready to begin delegating with your team?
Next, you'll put together a plan that helps you delegate with your team in an easy, three-step framework.

Start Delegating Strategically!

It's as simple as...

A: Assess
C: Communicate
T: Take action
Now it's time for you to delegate!

Ready, Set, Delegate

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What's Here?
You saw Maria delegate well, and now it's time to put the same approach she used into practice with your team.

This job aid will guide you through the three-stage process to delegate for engagement and results:

What’s My Task?
Click Download and begin to create your delegation plan. Begin filling out the document as you explore each stage in-depth during the rest of this
topic.
Download

Stage 1: Assess the Task and Team

Is this something that can and should be delegated?

There are some things you shouldn’t delegate, including:
 Projects or assignments your leader expects you to handle
 Leadership tasks, such as making a hiring decision or taking disciplinary action

Yes, this is a task that should be delegated!

Now, find the best team member for the job! Consider things like:
 Do you want to delegate for results or development?
 Who is best suited for the task?
 Who has availability?

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For example, this is what Maria did.
Reflect back to Maria's story from the Three Tales of Delegation mission.
Maria chose Sanjay because she knows he not only wants to develop in this area, but he will need these skills for further advancement.

 Maria knew this was a stretch assignment for Sanjay.

 She may have other team members who were more capable of completing the task quickly.

Here's the big takeaway.

Look at the big picture needs of the team and the larger organization, and think about how you can develop others and build your
talent pipeline—not just save time.
In the next tile, you will take a quiz, To Delegate or Not to Delegate, to determine what types of tasks you can delegate.

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EST. TIME: 8 MINUTES:
Quiz: To Delegate or Not to Delegate?

Some tasks can be delegated, and some tasks cannot. It can be challenging to figure out which is which.
The quiz presents 12 scenarios and asks you, Can you delegate this task or not? Then, it's up to you to determine whether should this task be
delegated and if you will delegate for performance or development.

Click the arrow to the LEFT or RIGHT of the gray box to put the task in
the Can Be Delegated or Can NOT Be Delegated column.

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 Click the arrow to the LEFT or RIGHT of the gray box to put the task in
the Can Be Delegated or Can NOT Be Delegated column.

You won't be graded, and you can always retake the activity.
Click Start Quiz below to take a short quiz about delegation tasks.

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Click Finish below in order to complete this quiz!
You don't have any more time in the day, so now it's about being strategic with the time and tasks at hand through delegation.
First, decide whether this is something that can be delegated.

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 Can Be Delegated CANNOT Be Delegated

Take the lead on planning and executing a strategic project. Coach team members
As a leader, you can delegate this to a colleague. It may even be a One of your biggest responsibilities as a leader is to coach your team.
great way to develop and upskill one of your team members. You can delegate training or teaching a team member, but not
coaching them in their development!

Create financial reports Conduct salary discussions

This is a great chance to develop the skills of a team member and Keep salary discussions between you and your team member. This is
help them understand business decisions beyond their daily activities. not something that anyone else on the team can help you with.

Conduct an important presentation to your leader on your Make a hiring decision for your team
team’s progress
Your team members can help you look for new hires, but as a leader,
This is an opportunity to develop a team member's communication the final decision for a new hire needs to fall on you.
skills, while giving them exposure to others in the business.

Deliver presentations to internal or external key stakeholders Implement disciplinary action for a team member
and clients
This should never be delegated, for any reason. You are their leader,
This is another opportunity to develop key communication skills that and any conversations about how you are holding your team
employees may need to be successful now or later in their career. members accountable needs to come from you.

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 Train a team member to do a difficult task Have a development conversation
This is a fantastic way to support a team member who is looking to One of your main jobs as a leader is to develop talent. These
take on a new challenge, and wants more satisfaction at work. conversations need to be carried out by you. Make them a priority on
your team.

Prepare proposals, contracts, and other important documents Have mid-year and year-end progress conversations with team
members
This is a great chance to develop the skills of a team member and
help them understand business decisions beyond their daily activities. One of your main jobs as a leader is to develop talent. Any annual,
semi-annual, or quarterly development conversations need to be
done by you.

After you've decided if the task can be delegated, then you can analyze:
 Who you'll delegate the task to
 Whether you'll delegate for engagement or development.

Press Finish below to complete this quiz!

Stage 2: Communicate Expectations

It's important to make sure that everyone's on the same page when delegating tasks.

Delegation Funnel

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Start the Conversation Right

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 We all have an innate need to know What’s In It
for Me?
Make sure your initial conversation explains why they have been chosen for the task and how they will benefit from taking on the task.

What's My Task?
1. Listen to the audio clip to get an idea of how you could start your delegation conversation. Click Play to begin.
2. Click Discussion below. Share how you'll begin your next delegation conversation and get feedback from others!

Stage 3: Take Action

Delegation is an ongoing process. You still have an active role to play even after the project is underway.

Stage 3: Take Action

To delegate well you need to hold yourself and your team members accountable both during and after the delegation.
Maria and Sanjay
Maria followed up with Sanjay prior to the project due date to review his progress and address any questions he had. She also gave him positive
feedback and recognition for his success.

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Tips for success:
1. Make a plan to follow up: After initially assigning and communicating the task, take notes on how you can follow up to ensure the delegation is a
success. These should be specific actions that will better enable you to deliver on the commitments you made in the conversations with your team
member.

2. Practice self-reflection: Evaluate yourself honestly on how well you, as a leader, gave ongoing feedback and delivered on the commitments you
made to your team member to support them on this task. Strive for continuous improvement by taking notes on what you will do differently moving
forward.

3. Recognize achievements: What can you do to recognize that your team member has successfully taken on a new responsibility or developed in a
new area?

What are your tips for success when delegating? Tell us in the next discussion!

BONUS: CREATING CONNECTION

Your Best Tips & Tricks to Delegate

As a leader, you most likely already have some experience delegating. Share your expertise with your peers!

What tips and tricks do you have when delegating strategically?

And, here's a bonus question: Have you ever seen how delegation can create connection with a team? If so, tell us about it!

Click Create a Thread below and share your experience!

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EST. TIME: 5 MIN.
Quiz: What Does Delegation Look Like?

You have completed this activity and earned 10 points. If you resubmit this activity, you will erase and replace your previous results.

Every company has its own unique challenges, including yours! Maybe you need to delegate on the fly or simply to free up time in your day. In this
quiz, you will explore scenarios that you might encounter at work and learn how to strategically delegate for best effect.
Click Start Quiz to begin.

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 Now it's your turn.
Schedule 10 minutes on your calendar to follow up on delegated tasks.
During that time, you can fill out Stage 3 in your delegation plan.

Wrap-Up & Take Action

LEAH CLARK
Expert Wrap-Up: Delegation
Expert Wrap-Up: Delegation
Delegation is an important leadership skill, but sometimes it can have a negative connotation, and leaders I've seen struggle with delegation.

The way they struggle tends to fall across sort of two opposite ends of the spectrum. Some leaders feel as though delegation is a rite of passage as
they become a leader. Now that they're in this leadership role they can delegate things that they don't want to do. Sometimes, this results in them
dumping. That's delegation gone wrong. At the opposite end of the spectrum you've got leaders who won't delegate. They feel as though in order to
be successful they are the only ones who can get it done. Neither scenario works particularly well.

I was working with a leader not too long ago and she herself was struggling with delegation. There was a new product that her team is trying to get
out, and they were in the 11th hour. There was a lot of work to be done, and she decided rather than burden her team, she would do it all herself. One
very brave employee approached her and said, 'Give me something, help us help you, we want to be a part of what you need to get done here.' She
scratched her head and said, 'Why? Knowing there's so much to do, this may involve work over the weekend. Why do you want me to give you
something that is a part of this effort.' They said 'Because we want to feel a sense of ownership. When it's successful, or even if it's not, we want to
feel like we were a part of things. So empower us, help us to contribute.'

It really changed her view on delegation in some pretty significant ways. The other side of delegation, or the complement to it, is accountability.
Accountability is all about holding people responsible for results. When you hold people accountable you hold them able. It's not about checking up on
them to make sure that the things that you delegated got done at a certain time, or checking off milestones on your to-do list. It's really about reaching
out to your individuals, the people that you lead, and saying 'How can I help you, how can I enable you to be more successful?' So think about
delegation and accountability as tools to empower, as tools to motivate and develop your team.

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Consider why aren't you delegating, what's holding you back? Through that exploration, and through viewing delegation through a positive lens, you
can see it as a tool for empowerment, engagement and contribution.

Virtual Team Tips for Delegation

Since many of you manage virtual teams, here are tips for delegating and holding others accountable in a virtual setting.

1. Provide and document background and context. Those details will help inform your employees on what they're actually doing and assist them in
making better decisions on how to accomplish the task. While you're at it, document those details so the team can easily refer back to them when
necessary. Doing so will ensure alignment and prevent you from becoming a bottleneck (i.e., the person who prevents others from doing their job
since they're waiting on you for information, resources, etc.).

2. Determine the right communication tool. Phone call? Email? Instant message? Another project management tool (Microsoft Teams, Trello,
etc.)? Which one is right? Determine which tool will be used for assigning, communicating, and following up on tasks. Otherwise, team members may
hear a verbal request but not act until they get an email. Or they will complete the task but never let the team know, so the project will stop work.
Ensure everyone has the same expectations.

3. Understand the team's process. This tip may be the most essential one. It's really hard to tell someone what to do when you don't understand
how it fits into the broader process yourself. As a result, you may provide the wrong information or resources or even delegate the wrong task at the
wrong time. When you know the process, you can also provide context better and determine the right communication tool.

DELEGATION
Take a Pause Moment

Take a Moment to Pause and Reflect

As you think back on everything you learned this week about delegation, remember the ACT model:
 Assess: What can I delegate? Who should I delegate to?
 Communicate: Outline outcomes. Ask how to support.
 Take Action: Remove barriers. Recognize achievements.

Which aspect of the ACT model will you focus on developing when delegating next? What impact will this have on your team?

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You will earn 25 points for your thoughtful contributions this week.
Click Create a Thread to share your thoughts.

Feedback Week 4

Help us improve!

Share feedback on your experiences so far.

1. Click Share My Thoughts below.

2. Answer the question that appears in place of the menu.
3. Provide comments, if you would like.
4. Click Send.

It's that simple. Oh, and you'll earn points for helping us.

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 Take Action
Commit to ChangeBriefly go back to the self-assessment “What Type of Delegator Are You?” Commit to changing one or two items to become a
better delegator.

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