Delegating Tasks Efficiently

"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.

I became an Amazon VP because I was a leader; I did not become a leader because I held the VP title. Leadership came first. Here is how you can improve your leadership even if you are not a manger at all: Some of you may know the famous story of Tom Sawyer, written by Mark Twain. In the story, Tom is given the hot, dirty, boring job of white washing (painting) the wooden fence in front of his house. When his friends walk up and say, oh Tom, poor you, stuck painting the fence, he says ohh no, this is important work and none of you could do it well enough to be allowed to do it. Tom cons his friends into wanting to prove that they can paint the fence well. Then he gives them the brush and sits back while they fight for turns to do it. My dad was generally a pretty negative guy, and when I was looking at graduate schools he commented that I was "pretty good at getting others to whitewash my fences," a reference to this story. He was skeptical of my ability to succeed "on my own." He undervalued the value of my ability to inspire others to action. Most people think that only managers can delegate. That is one of the reasons why most people don’t become managers. You have to delegate to focus on the important work and move up. Here’s how: Each of us has tasks we love and things we are naturally good at. Most of us also have things that we really dislike or that we struggle to do well. The key to good delegation is to ask people to do things they like or that are easy for them. So, the key to delegating well is being able to identify those things. Once you have identified the tasks that someone likes, one way to delegate to them is to trade tasks. Find someone who is good at a task you are bad at, and then ask what you can do in exchange. In the ideal case, both parties will end up doing something easy, quick, and fun for them that was frustrating and difficult for the other person. Then, this will create a virtuous cycle. As you delegate more of the tasks you don’t excel at and take on more tasks that are easy to you, you will become more productive and focus more on what is important. This willl generally make you a higher performer and more valued in whatever it is that you do. As a result, you will be able to start requesting help with your projects and you may even be asked to lead a project or a team. In this situation, you can begin to delegate away even more of the things that you don’t like because you will have the official authority to do it. If you are not a manager, another delegation strategy you can use it to ask your manager to assist with delegation. If your manager values your focus on a certain type of work, they may be willing to move some of your other work to someone else. But, in order to make this happen you need to show them that this will pay off for them and for the overall team or project. Readers- Have you had experiences delegating as non-managers? Share in the comments below.

If your feedback isn't changing behavior, you're not giving feedback—you're just complaining. After 25 years of coaching leaders through difficult conversations, I've learned that most feedback fails because it focuses on making the giver feel better rather than making the receiver better. Why most feedback doesn't work: ↳ It's delivered months after the fact ↳ It attacks personality instead of addressing behavior ↳ It assumes the person knows what to do differently ↳ It's given when emotions are high ↳ It lacks specific examples or clear direction The feedback framework that actually changes behavior: TIMING: Soon, not eventually. Give feedback within 48 hours when possible Don't save it all for annual reviews. Address issues while they're still relevant. INTENT: Lead with purpose and use statements like - "I'm sharing this because I want to see you succeed" or "This feedback comes from a place of support." Make your positive intent explicit. STRUCTURE: Use the SBI Model. ↳Situation: When and where it happened ↳Behavior: What you observed (facts, not interpretations) ↳Impact: The effect on results, relationships, or culture COLLABORATION: Solve together by using statements such as - ↳"What's your perspective on this?" ↳"What would help you succeed in this area?" ↳"How can I better support you moving forward?" Great feedback is a gift that keeps giving. When people trust your feedback, they seek it out. When they implement it successfully, they become advocates for your leadership. Your feedback skills significantly impact your leadership effectiveness. Coaching can help; let's chat. | Joshua Miller What's the best feedback tip/advice, and what made it effective? #executivecoaching #communication #leadership #performance

Most leaders don’t struggle to give feedback because they lack good intentions, they struggle because they lack the right frameworks. We say things like: 🗣 “This wasn’t good enough.” 🗣 “You need to speak up more.” 🗣 “That project could’ve been tighter.” But vague feedback isn’t helpful, it’s confusing. And often, it demoralizes more than it motivates. That’s why I love this visual from Rachel Turner (VC Talent Lab). It lays out four highly actionable, research-backed frameworks for giving better feedback: → The 3 Ps Model: Praise → Problem → Potential. Start by recognizing what worked. Then gently raise what didn’t. End with a suggestion for how things could improve. → The SBI Model: Situation → Behavior → Impact. This strips out judgment and makes feedback objective. Instead of “You’re too aggressive in meetings,” it becomes: “In yesterday’s meeting (Situation), you spoke over colleagues multiple times (Behavior), which made some feel unable to share (Impact).” → Harvard’s HEAR Framework: A powerful structure for disagreement. Hedge claims. Emphasize agreement. Acknowledge their point. Reframe to solutions. → General Feedback Tips: – Be timely. – Be specific. – Focus on behavior, not identity. – Reinforce the positive (and remember the 5:1 rule). Here’s what I tell senior FMCG leaders all the time: Good feedback builds performance. Great feedback builds culture. The best feedback builds trust, and that’s what retains your best people. So next time you hesitate before giving hard feedback? Remember this: → You’re not there to criticize. → You’re there to build capacity. Save this as your cheat sheet. Share it with your teams. Let’s make feedback a tool for growth, not fear. #Leadership #FMCG #TalentDevelopment #PerformanceCulture #FeedbackMatters #ExecutiveDevelop

I've been watching leaders sabotage their own success for decades. Here's the pattern I keep seeing: Manager gives task to team member → task doesn't get done right → manager jumps in to "fix it" → team member never learns → manager feels overwhelmed because their time is sucked into fixing it → cycle repeats and escalates. This happens at startups and Fortune 500 companies alike. It's a universal leadership challenge. Why? One reasson is we're all terrible mind readers. The solution isn't more lunches or team building exercises. It's not working harder. It's consistent, sync sessions - specifically structured 1:1 meetings. What leaders actually want: - Team members who "get it" - People who take ownership - Work that gets done without constant supervision - Trust that when they delegate, it happens But leaders sabotage themselves by: 1. Jumping in to "do it right" (which teaches the team they'll never measure up) 2. Only delegating work that will be done "exactly how I'd do it" (impossible standard) 3. Avoiding the discomfort of developing leadership skills 4. Failing to address core problems directly The math of trust is simple: Trust = Time + Consistency When you implement weekly 1:1s with the same format as your business operating system (whether EOS, OKRs or something else), you create a accountability loop that helps everyone. Use the same measurables, rocks, and goals you'd review in your weekly and quarterly team meetings, just personalized to their role. By having these meetings consistently, even when it feels like you "don't have anything to discuss," you're building trust. You're creating space to address issues before they become fires. You're teaching your team exactly how they contribute to business success. I see this work time and again - leaders who make this simple change transform from overwhelmed doers to empowered leaders. It's one reason why we committed to making great 1 on 1 meetings simple and easy in ResultMaps. What's your biggest challenge with delegation? Is it the letting go or the follow-through?

Your calendar isn’t the problem. You are. Years ago, over dinner with Ben Chestnut, co-founder and former CEO of Intuit Mailchimp, I asked: "I feel like I could be doing more. How do you manage your time and stay so productive?" I expected a magic hack. A silver bullet. Instead, he said: "You don’t have a productivity problem. You have a people problem. Are you delegating? Do you have the right people to delegate to?" Boom. Game over. My entire view of leadership shifted in that moment. Until then, I thought my job at Wistia was to do more: keep my inbox at zero, squeeze every minute, put out every fire myself. But Ben was right. My problem wasn’t time. It was that I wasn’t giving enough ownership away. So I started fully delegating to my senior team. Here’s what happened: → Some thrived and scaled faster than I imagined. → Others struggled and failed quickly. → I learned more about my team in months than I had in years. I had more energy for the things only I could do to move the business forward. Others grew faster, took on more, and their expertise began to shape the company in ways I couldn’t have alone. That’s when it hit me: delegation isn’t just a way to keep your head above water. It’s the difference between running a business and scaling one. After more than a decade of practicing it, here’s how I think about delegation today: 1. The 80% Rule: If someone can do it 80% as well as you, delegate it. 2. Hold Strategy Close: Set clear goals so everyone’s aligned, then give them ownership: highly aligned, loosely coupled. 3. Expect Failures: Some projects and people will fail. Keep failures small, make them lessons, and weigh effort, risk, and learning before stepping in. 4. Feedback is Fuel: Delegation without feedback is bad. Give plenty, especially early. 5. Over-Communicate: As your business grows, repeat the strategy, values, and mission. Keep the big things steady, let the small things evolve. Thank you, Ben, for sparking the insight that changed how I lead. Give the right people absolute ownership and they won’t just free up your time. They’ll take your business where you could never go alone. Where are you holding on too tight, and what might happen if you let go?

Coaching and accountability aren’t just part of leadership—they are leadership. At LeaderFactor, we’ve spent years studying how the most effective leaders influence others—and what sets them apart is their ability to transfer two things: ⭐ Ownership and critical thinking. To help leaders do that, we use a flagship tool called the Coaching & Accountability Matrix—a simple, powerful framework for developing people and driving performance. Here’s how it works. The Matrix overlays two leadership continuums: The accountability continuum, moving vertically from task → process → outcome accountability. The coaching continuum, moving horizontally from tell → tell/ask → ask. The result? A 3x3 grid—a diagnostic tool that helps leaders do two essential things: ✅ Identify where someone is right now in their development ✅ Determine their next coaching step Let’s say you’re coaching someone who performs their tasks well but hasn’t taken ownership beyond that. You might determine they’re at the task level of accountability, but you’re using mostly questions to coach them. That puts them in Box 3—task accountability + inquiry-based coaching. Now you know where they are. But more importantly, you know where they need to go next. Because leadership is a journey of mastery, and mastery happens one box at a time. First, task mastery Then, process mastery Finally, outcome mastery And here’s the key: At each stage, your ability to move from directive to inquiry-based coaching determines whether that person gains true ownership and the ability to think independently. My advice? Use the Matrix as a shared tool. Explain it to your team. Ask them where they think they are. This creates clarity, self-awareness, and alignment. It also reinforces a culture where growth is collaborative and expectations are visible. At the heart of it all is this principle: As a leader, your primary job is to help people grow. You do that by transferring ownership and critical thinking. You do that through coaching and accountability. And when you do it well, everyone wins. #managerdevelopment #leadershipdevelopment #coaching #accountability #leaderfactor

If feedback feels like a threat, you’re missing its potential👇: 1️⃣ Start with Empathy ↳ Acknowledge their efforts before diving into the feedback. 2️⃣ Be Clear and Specific ↳ Use concrete examples like, “In yesterday’s meeting, I noticed...” 3️⃣ Focus on the Behavior, Not the Person ↳ Say, “This behavior affected the project” instead of “You always mess this up.” 4️⃣ Use the “What” and “How” Formula ↳ Frame it like, “When X happened, it caused Y, so let’s address it this way.” 5️⃣ Offer Solutions, Not Just Criticism ↳ Collaborate on solutions by asking, “What do you think would work better next time?” 6️⃣ Check for Understanding ↳ Say, “Does that make sense? How do you see it?” 7️⃣ Follow Up to Support Growth ↳ Schedule a quick follow-up meeting to check on progress and offer further guidance. 📌 PS...Done right, difficult feedback can build trust and foster growth. ♻️ Share this with your network to help them deliver feedback with confidence and care! 🚀 Want more actionable insights? Join 5,000+ leaders reading my newsletter for weekly tips on leadership, performance, and culture. No vague recommendations. All backed by science and experience. ➡️ Join free here: https://lnkd.in/gJr6dcPJ

In the last decade of building Quadrant Technologies, we went from a small team to 2000+ members. It’s been a great ride, but one of the biggest challenges we’ve faced has been ⤵ DELEGATION To be more precise - how to delegate the right way. After conversing with fellow entrepreneurs and mentors, I realized I am not alone. This is something that almost every entrepreneur battles with. 👉 What’s the solution? Over the years, I found a framework immensely successful. We utilize it actively at Quadrant Technologies. Jenny Blake, a career and business strategist & author of the book PIVOT: The Only Move That Matters Is Your Next One, suggested this 6T delegation framework. Here’s my favourite 6T framework : 1️⃣ TERRIBLE AT: Know your weaknesses and delegate them. You can’t be perfect at every task, and you don’t need to be. Instead, knowing what you are not good at is your strength because now you know what to delegate. 2️⃣ TINY: Small, insignificant tasks that don’t need your attention add up to your to-do list & make you feel overwhelmed. Delegate them sooner. 3️⃣ TEDIOUS: Tasks that are not the best use of your time. As a business owner, your time is precious. Invest it in doing the tasks that move your business forward, and everything else can be done by someone else. 4️⃣ TIME-SENSITIVE: Tasks that need your urgent attention but distract you from the bigger goal. These tasks compete with your priorities. Choose your priority tasks & delegate these time-sensitive tasks. 5️⃣ TEACHABLE: List the tasks that can free up your to-do list if taught. Train your team members & delegate. Once your team is trained, they can always handle that work, saving you time. 6️⃣ TIME-CONSUMING: Delegate the tasks that consume a lot of your time but don’t yield big results. Follow the 80/20 rule here. Delegate the tasks that consume 80% of your time & are only 20% effective. Focus on the tasks that take 20% of your time but give 80% of the results. --------------------- Delegation is a skill that’s learned over time. This is one of the frameworks that helped us immensely in delegating work effectively. What has been your go-to delegation framework/tips? I would love to hear your perspective in the comments. #delegation #leadership

𝗠𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗱𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗴𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲𝘀 𝗱𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗯𝗮𝗱 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁. 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗮𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗺𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀. “I thought they understood…” “I didn’t want to burden them…” “I assumed they knew how to do it…” As an executive coach working with senior leaders across industries, I see this pattern every single week. 👉 Delegation is not about dumping. 👉 It’s not about detailing every step. 👉 And it’s definitely not about doing it yourself because “no one else gets it.” 𝗜𝘁'𝘀 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗱𝗲𝗲𝗽𝗲𝗿: Transferring clarity, confidence, and responsibility. Here’s how I explain it in my D.N.A. of Influence™ coaching framework: 🔍 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝘄𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗴: They assume instructions are clear without confirmation. They delegate without verifying if the person has the skills. They hold back critical tasks because they don’t trust outcomes. They either micromanage every small detail or completely disappear. They skip check-ins, then panic when the final outcome is off track. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘂𝗹𝘁? 🟥 Overload. 🟥 Disengaged team. 🟥 Loss of credibility. 🟥 Bottlenecks in execution. ✅ What high-trust leaders do instead: Confirm understanding every single time – even if it feels redundant. Match tasks to team members' strengths and verify their readiness. Provide autonomy, but don’t disappear—stay available. Share high-stakes projects, not just routine admin. Follow up consistently, not just when things break. 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗱𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗴𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗸𝘀 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲: A conscious act of empowerment with accountability. In my coaching sessions, we go deeper into: ✅ Need Alignment – What drives the person you’re delegating to? ✅ Influence without Control – How to empower without micromanaging. ✅ Language of Trust – What to say (and what not to say) when handing over responsibility. ✅ Feedback Loops – How to course-correct without demoralizing. 🎯 If you’re a senior leader tired of doing everything yourself… …Or if you’ve delegated and still ended up doing the heavy lifting… 𝗦𝘂𝗯𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗯𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗺𝘆 𝗻𝗲𝘄𝘀𝗹𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝗺𝘆 𝗗𝗡𝗔 𝗼𝗳 𝗜𝗻𝗳𝗹𝘂𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲™ 𝗳𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗲𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗳𝗿𝗲𝗲. You’ll learn the same tools I’ve used to help executives: ✔ Build trust with their teams ✔ Free up hours every week ✔ And finally lead at the level they’re paid for. Let’s make leadership lighter—and more effective. #Influence #peakimpactmentorship  #DNAofInfluence #leadership