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How to stop delegating and start teaching

In companies where success is way of life, succession is a way of life. 

In turn, succession plans can only be implemented completely when delegating is halted and teaching is started. Easier said than done though.

Kristen Luck from Scalehouse says it thus: “I outlined the importance for executives to stop working “IN” the business more than they work “ON” it. The challenge for most executives, of course, is that in order to back out of day to day tactical work, they need to have a trusted team in place to handle the “IN” work. This is where it gets tricky because the hardest part of delegating “IN” work is trusting that it will be done well. Often times, delegation happens in the thick of stressful time crunched situations where, without proper training, employees will likely fail. And that’s where our mindset needs to change... Because delegation is a short game strategy. Teaching is a long game.”

Our Speccon course on learning versus delegating takes an in depth look at this principle and how you can go about ensuring that succession happens through learning. What we do know it that it will never happen through delegating. It’s a guarantee.

Remember, some superiors are often great delegators, many leaders truly battle with handing over and then also trusting others to do as good a job as they believe that they can do. One needs to see these situations as a superb teaching opportunity instead of a delegation “pass-it-on” situation. 

Here’s another kicker when it comes to delegating. If you continuously delegate tasks to your employees, you’re actually setting them up for failure. Growth does not happen when someone is just plainly told what to do. This in itself raises an interesting question because in learning, there has to be failure too. If you’ve hired the right people for the right job they’re probably going to find an even better way to complete initiatives and tasks and growing their expertise and mindset at the same time. But, you have to leave room for failure. Sometimes you have to let it happen. That’s tough to do. We’ll equip you for that. 

Good delegators often wait until they’re under the whip, going on holiday or are approaching a deadline before the start handing out work. To teach instead of delegate this process has to happen much earlier. 

Shadowing is a fine way to institute learning. Pick someone to mentor and move from there. Identify well as this is crucial in the succession cause. Gauging who is determined to make a difference, talented enough. Skilled and lastly teachable is vital.

Will they develop into what you may have in mind for them? Are you investing in their current and future development.

Small tasks lead to bigger ones and that inevitably leads to more responsibility. Projects will grow as the capacity for responsibility grows. The how and the why is probably the most important part of the teaching process. It’s a process and does not happen overnight. 

Another massive factor in teaching is one that is often missed: feedback, critiquing work whether positive or negative incontestably one of the major pillars of teaching. Without it there is no growth. This needs a time investment and some very fine people skills to get the right teaching across.

Get your mentee to fix problems. Nothing tells them more that they are trusted, they’re growing and learning more than giving them a chance to solve problems. This reinforces the learning and confirms your in investment in them, their career and your very succession too.

Remember you cannot be replaced if there isn’t one to replace you and send you on your way up the corporate ladder.  

Our course helps you to navigate a difficult and tenuous subject which is often seen as vey controversial and can cause some very interesting vigorous debate. 

It’s important to understand that managers will only enjoy unparalleled success when they truly understand that their success is only achieved through others around them.  The leaders of your firm, team, company or organisation tomorrow, are the people who you teach today.

It will be to the benefit of the individual and the company if you get it right. We’re not delegating, you can learn this from us.

Related 

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