Overcoming the Barrier of Delegation Excuses

The world’s most valuable skill is creating leverage. It's what sets leaders apart from those focused solely on themselves. Individuals who fail to delegate or struggle with delegation eventually hit a professional ceiling due to limited time, potential errors, or compromised health and relationships.

Delegating is a skill that can be learned. It's as simple as assigning tasks and guiding someone on how to accomplish them. It requires an organized mind and an understanding of one's thought process. The difficulty lies in people not taking the time to reflect on how and why they achieved a particular result.

So, how do you start learning this skill? That's what we're going to discuss this week, and I'll share how I mastered this skill to help you apply it too.

In a recent LinkedIn post, I introduced a framework from Michael Hyatt that significantly changed my perspective on delegation. If you missed it, here it is again. 

Michael Hyatt’s 5 Levels of Delegation Framework

Level 1 - Carry out instructions: Follow my directions precisely, in the given order. I am familiar with the process, and I know it works.

Level 2 - Research and Report: Gather data about the topic, bring it for discussion, and I'll make a decision on the course of action.

Level 3 - Research and Recommend: Research, present options, and make a recommendation. If I agree, we'll proceed with that option.

Level 4 - Decide and Inform: Make a decision and inform me. "Keep me in the loop" is crucial at this level to avoid surprises.

Level 5 - Act Independently: Decide what you think is best; there's no need to report back. I trust your execution, and you have my full support.

But how do you apply these levels? It's not about dumping a load of tasks on someone and hoping for the best. 

Step 1: List out all your tasks: Track your daily activities for a few weeks. Note everything, no task is too small. You'll likely discover tasks that others could handle, freeing up your time.

Step 2: Sort into 4 buckets: Organize tasks into a 2x2 matrix based on whether they excite you or not and whether you're good at them or not.

Step 3: Your delegation begins: The best candidates for delegation are tasks you neither enjoy nor excel at. Delegating these tasks will provide immediate relief, creating a positive reinforcement loop.

Step 4: Teach, review, adjust: Don't overwhelm with tasks. Start with a few, teach how to do them, review the results, and add more details. Document the process to avoid repetitive teaching.

That’s it. Understand delegation, clarify your tasks, and then teach, review, and adjust.