Approaches to Delegating Tasks in Consulting

"I'll delegate when I find good people." Translation: "I'll trust them after they prove themselves." Plot twist: They can't prove themselves until you trust them. Break the loop. Delegate to develop. Here's how: 1️⃣ What should you delegate? Everything. Not a joke. You need to design yourself completely out of your old job. Set your sights lower and you'll delegate WAY less than you should. But don't freak out: Responsibly delegating this way will take months. 2️⃣ Set Expectations w/ Your Boss The biggest wild card when delegating: Your boss.  Perfection isn't the target. Command is.  - Must-dos: handled  - Who you're stretching   - Mistakes you anticipate   - How you'll address Remember: You're actually managing your boss. 3️⃣ Set Expectations w/ Yourself  Your team will not do it your way.  So you have a choice: - Waste a ton of time trying to make them you?   - Empower them to creatively do it better?  Remember: 5 people at 80% = 400%. 4️⃣ Triage Your Reality - If you have to hang onto something -> do it.  - If you feel guilty delegating a miserable task -> delete it.  - If you can't delegate them anything -> you have a bigger problem. 5️⃣ Delegate for Your Development  You must create space to grow. Start here:   1) Anything partially delegated -> Completion achieves clarity.  2) Where you add the least value -> Your grind is their growth.  3) The routine -> Ripe for a runbook or automation. 6️⃣ Delegate for Their Development Start with the stretch each employee needs to excel. Easiest place to start: ask them how they want to grow. People usually know. And they'll feel agency over their own mastery. Bonus: Challenge them to find & take that work. Virtuous cycle. 7️⃣ Set Expectations w/ Your Team  Good delegation is more than assigning tasks:  - It's goal-oriented  - It's written down  - It's intentional When you assign "Whys" instead of "Whats", You get Results instead of "Buts". 8️⃣ Climb The Ladder Aim for the step that makes you uncomfortable:     - Steps over Tasks  - Processes over Steps  - Responsibilities over Processes  - Goals over Responsibilities   - Jobs over Goals  Each rung is higher leverage. 9️⃣ Don't Undo Good Work Delegating & walking away - You need to trust. But you also need to verify. - Metrics & surveys are a good starting point. Micromanaging - That's your insecurity, not their effort. - Your new job is to enable, motivate & assess, not step in. ✅ Remember: You're not just delegating tasks. - You're delegating goals. - You're delegating growth. - You're delegating greatness. The best time to start was months ago.  The next best time is today. 🔔 Follow Dave Kline for more posts like this. ♻️ And repost to help those leaders who need to delegate more.

How a 10-Person Startup Freed Its Founder by Offloading Operations to a VA When you’re leading a small team, every hour spent managing operations is time taken away from growth and strategy. One of our clients (a 10-person startup) was facing exactly that challenge. The founder was buried in day-to-day tasks, from CRM updates to client follow-ups, while critical growth initiatives sat on the back burner. The Challenge: Despite having a capable team, the founder was struggling to delegate effectively: - Re-explaining tasks drained hours each week. - SOPs were inconsistent or nonexistent. - Operational bottlenecks piled up, stalling growth. Our Approach: Building a High-Impact VA System Instead of just assigning a VA, we focused on building a sustainable delegation system that empowered the VA to execute independently: 1. Clear, Actionable Task Briefs → Structured onboarding provided comprehensive task briefs, ensuring clarity from day one. → Reduced rework and minimized unnecessary back-and-forth. 2. Proactive Support and Accountability → The VA wasn’t just waiting for instructions, they were actively streamlining operations. → Regular check-ins maintained alignment without constant oversight. 3. Leveraging AI for Efficiency (Not Replacement) → AI tools created detailed task briefs, saving hours in task handoffs. → Automated Q&A answered routine questions, allowing the VA to keep moving. → The focus remained on the VA’s ability to execute, with AI as a support tool (not the main event). The Outcome: → 60% Reduction in Operational Hours: The founder reclaimed over 15 hours per week by offloading repetitive tasks. → Reliable Execution: The VA became a trusted partner, maintaining consistency without constant oversight. → Scalable Systems: The process became a repeatable framework, ready for future team expansion. Are you still buried in operations? Let’s talk about how a strategically positioned VA can take the day-to-day off your plate without the hassle of micromanagement.

HOW TO MANAGE YOUR STAFF WITH CONTEXT, NOT CONTROL Are you really delegating or just creating very expensive assistants? "Can you handle the client presentation?" sounds like delegation, but if you're still dictating exactly what slides to include, how to structure the agenda, and which talking points to hit, you've just outsourced your typing. You now have the world's most overqualified PowerPoint intern! Real delegation isn't about offloading tasks. It's about offloading decisions. THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN TASK DELEGATION AND OUTCOME DELEGATION: TASK DELEGATION: "Please create a customer onboarding checklist with these 12 specific items." OUTCOME DELEGATION: "New customers are confused by our platform. Can you design an onboarding experience that gets them to their desired outcome faster?" One creates a very expensive copy-paste machine. The other creates a problem-solver. HOW TO DELEGATE DECISION-MAKING AUTHORITY, NOT JUST TASKS: Instead of "Run all pricing by me first," try "You own pricing decisions under $50K. Here's our margin framework and competitive positioning. Make the call." Instead of "Run all social media posts by me first," try "Our brand voice is professional but approachable. You decide what to post but run strategy changes by me quarterly." THE "CONTEXT, NOT CONTROL" APPROACH: Give people the background information that informs your decisions, not just the decisions themselves. "I usually prioritize enterprise clients because they pay us 10x more than small businesses, but if a smaller client could become a case study for a new market we want to enter, that changes the math entirely." Now they can make good decisions without you peeking over their shoulder. WHY EXPLAINING YOUR REASONING IS MORE VALUABLE THAN GIVING INSTRUCTIONS: When you explain the "why" behind your thinking, you're not just delegating the current task—you're teaching someone to think like you would about future situations. THE FINAL TEST: Can this person make good decisions about things you haven't specifically discussed yet? If not, your system still needs improving. What's one decision you could teach someone else to make instead of making it yourself? *** I’m Jennifer Kamara, founder of Kamara Life Design. Enjoy this? Repost to share with your network, and follow me for actionable strategies to design businesses and lives with meaning. Want to go from good to world-class? Join our community of subscribers today: https://lnkd.in/d6TT6fX5 

Leaders: forget the idea of being “hands-on.” Freedom makes teams perform better. Delegation inspires confidence. It fosters growth. It unlocks team potential. Done right, it is a tool any leader can use to build thriving, autonomous teams. Here’s 9 ways to revolutionize your leadership by delegating with trust: 1/ Clarify Expectations: Set the Stage for Success → Define goals, deadlines, and outcomes clearly upfront. → Ensure team members understand the “why” behind tasks. 💡 Leaders: Use one-on-one meetings to align priorities and confirm understanding. 2/ Choose the Right Person: Match Tasks to Strengths → Assign tasks based on skills, interests, and growth potential. → Avoid overloading the same high-performers repeatedly. 💡 Leaders: Map team members’ strengths to projects to boost engagement and results. 3/ Grant Autonomy: Let Go of Micromanaging → Give freedom to decide how the work gets done. → Resist the urge to hover or dictate every step. 💡 Leaders: Set check-in points for progress updates, not to control the process. 4/ Provide Resources: Equip for Success → Ensure access to tools, information, and support needed. → Remove roadblocks that could derail progress. 💡 Leaders: Ask, “What do you need to succeed?” and act on the answers. 5/ Encourage Questions: Foster Open Communication → Create a safe space for team members to seek clarification. → Reward curiosity to build confidence in decision-making. 💡 Leaders: Model vulnerability by admitting when you don’t know something. 6/ Accept Mistakes: Turn Errors into Learning → View missteps as opportunities for growth, not failure. → Provide constructive feedback without blame. 💡 Leaders: Share a past mistake you made and how it shaped your growth. 7/ Recognize Efforts: Celebrate Wins, Big and Small → Acknowledge contributions to reinforce trust and motivation. → Publicly praise specific actions to inspire others. 💡 Leaders: Send a quick thank-you note or shout-out in team meetings. 8/ Build Accountability: Empower Ownership → Encourage team members to take responsibility for outcomes. → Avoid swooping in to “fix” things unless absolutely necessary. 💡 Leaders: Ask, “What’s your plan to move this forward?” to promote initiative. 9/ Reflect and Refine: Improve Delegation Over Time → Seek feedback on your delegation approach from the team. → Adjust based on what works and what doesn’t. 💡 Leaders: Hold quarterly reviews to discuss delegation experiences and optimize. Delegating with trust redefines leadership by blending empowerment with accountability. Start leveraging these strategies to transform your team into a powerhouse of independence and impact. Which one of these delegation techniques works best for you? Comment below! ♻️ Repost if your network needs these reminders. Follow Carolyn Healey for more leadership insights.

Leading 100s of engineers taught me one crucial lesson: Delegation is vital. Trying to do everything yourself isn’t leadership, it’s a bottleneck. It slows progress, frustrates your team, and limits innovation. Effective delegation not only lightens your load but also empowers your team, improving engagement and building autonomy. Delegation Poker is a great way to create the right culture. How It Works: 1️⃣ Step 1: Sit down with your team and identify key decisions that need clarity. 2️⃣ Step 2: Each team member thinks about how much control the leader or team should have,  then picks a number from 1-7 to match the appropriate level of delegation. (All team members should reveal their cards at the same time) The Levels: 1: Leader Decides. The leader makes the call. Example: “This is my call. Here’s the plan.” 2: Leader Decides and Explains. The leader decides and shares their reasoning. Example: “Here’s my decision and why it’s best.” 3: Team Decides Together. Leader and team collaborate. Example: “Let’s explore options and choose together.” 4: Leader’s Input, Team’s Decision. The leader advises; the team decides. Example: “Here’s my take, but it’s your call.” 5: Team Decides, Informs Leader. The team decides; the leader stays updated. Example: “I trust you. Just let me know.” 6: Team Decides, Leader is There to Help. The team owns it; the leader supports if asked. Example: “It’s yours. Reach out if needed.” 7: Team Owns It. The team has full autonomy. Example: “This is yours. I trust you.” Once everyone agrees on the level,  they follow through with the decision-making process. Happy Delegating! ________________ ♻️ Share this with your network  ➕ Follow me, Suren Samarchyan, for more on leadership

Stop doing $10/hour tasks when you're worth $1,000/hour. Here's how Fortune 500 CEOs delegate. The reality? You can't scale by doing everything yourself. At some point, being the bottleneck becomes too expensive. Here's what effective delegation unlocks: ↳ Time for high-value strategic decisions ↳ A culture of trust and ownership ↳ Faster results with fewer bottlenecks It's not about passing tasks. It's about building a system that multiplies your impact. Here are 7 frameworks Fortune 500 CEOs use to delegate and scale: 1/ RACI Matrix ↳ Define clear roles: Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, Informed ↳ End confusion about who owns what 2/ SMART Goals ↳ Turn vague ideas into actionable plans ↳ Create crystal-clear expectations 3/ Task-Relevant Maturity ↳ Match your leadership style to team readiness ↳ Give support where needed, freedom where earned 4/ Pareto Principle ↳ Focus on the vital 20% driving 80% of results ↳ Stop wasting time on low-impact tasks 5/ Five Levels of Delegation ↳ Scale authority from basic tasks to full ownership ↳ Build trust systematically 6/ DELEGATE Model ↳ Follow a proven step-by-step process ↳ Handle even complex handoffs smoothly 7/ Why-What-How Framework ↳ Align on purpose, strategy, and execution ↳ Perfect for high-stakes initiatives Remember: Every hour spent on $10/hour tasks Is an hour stolen from $1,000/hour decisions. Which framework resonates most with you? ♻️ Share this to help other leaders scale And follow Mariya Valeva for more

Everyone says "just delegate." But they don't tell you how. That’s about to change. Here's the truth: Strong teams run without their leader. No constant oversight needed. No decision bottlenecks. No micromanaging required. Start here: 1. Cut Before You Give ↳ Eliminate what doesn't matter before delegating ↳ Most tasks shouldn't exist at all 2. Accept 80% Solutions ↳ If it's done 80% as well, they own it  ↳ Perfection kills growth 3. Find What Drains You ↳ Start with tasks that exhaust you ↳ Energy signals what to delegate first 4. Show the Why ↳ Explain thinking, not just tasks ↳ Understanding drives ownership 5. Create Decision Rules ↳ "If this, then that" beats constant questions ↳ Clear guidelines build confident teams 6. Paint Success Pictures ↳ Define exactly what "done" looks like ↳ Clarity prevents confusion 7. Set Review Rhythms ↳ Daily becomes weekly becomes monthly ↳ Trust grows through results Nothing else needed. Delegation isn't complex. But it requires letting go. The most respected leaders I know trust before they're ready. Start with one task. Remember: Simple always wins. What will you delegate today? ♻️ Repost to help someone. 🔔 Follow Christine Carrillo for more.