Is delegating work something you struggle with?
What is it that makes you uncomfortable?
You may be concerned that someone else can’t meet your expectations or quality standards? Maybe you feel it’s just easier to do it yourself than to teach another person? Or, are you afraid of letting go of something you now have control over?
Sure, I get it—you might be really great at performing the work, but you didn’t start out doing it perfectly either. It takes time to train someone else. You invest time now in exchange for time availability.
But, what if your unwillingness to delegate is stifling your professional growth and your team’s?
Let’s discover how to delegate work to others, grow team members, and free up time to advance to your next position.
Lack of Delegation is Stifling Your Growth as a Woman Leader in IT
I had been working in IT for about 15 years when I decided to apply for a management position.
I had worked as a project manager, technical and team lead for many years and it was time for me to expand my capabilities and take the next step in my career progression.
My first organization was small with 8-10 direct reports.
My team worked on a strategic initiative in IT to redesign and redevelop our intranet and content management system. It was a project I had been involved with since inception and it had become my baby. I was heavily invested in this work and wanted to do everything I could to ensure its success.
It was a highly visible, complex project with numerous stakeholders from across the company. It was a new technology that was complicated to learn and customize. I managed a team of amazing performers—real rock stars, and there wasn’t anything they couldn’t figure out!
From my perception, everything was going well…
My manager made a comment one day that stopped me in my tracks, “You know, you can’t really become the manager I need you to be if you’re still managing the project”.
I sat in silence for a moment absorbing his comment. I knew what he said was accurate and replied, “You know what? You’re right. I need to hire a project manager and delegate that function to someone else”.
I appreciated the way my manager handled that situation. He didn’t demean me in any way—he let me know in a kind way that I needed to grow into the management position I had worked so hard to obtain.
I was fortunate to hire a great project manager that took over the responsibilities I had been performing. He was heavily engaged with all the work activities and did an excellent job of keeping everything flowing smoothly while meeting customer commitments.
At first, I felt lost and uncomfortable—what would I do every day if I wasn’t as involved in the project? I realized as time elapsed that I had fallen short in some areas of my management position.
I recall talking with my peers about their routine activities to better understand what I should be focusing on.
They mentioned meeting with customers to understand future work needs and partnering to obtain needed funding. They met regularly with other IT teams to collaborate on work being performed. They focused on process improvements to optimize work flow.
I was starting to catch the vision for what my management position should include. I think my manager made the assumption that because I had leadership experience, I should have already known.
When I learned how to delegate to the project manager, it freed up my time and allowed me to focus on other responsibilities, enroll in leadership training courses, and expand my management skills and capabilities.
Here Are 4 Ways Delegation Benefits Women Leaders in IT:
- Frees time for strategic focus.
- Reduces stress and encourages relaxation.
- Boosts team morale and productivity through growth opportunities.
- Enhances leadership skills with new learning experiences.
Within a few years, I was fortunate to advance to another management position with 25 direct reports. Learning to delegate in my former position helped pave the way to successfully manage a much larger organization with varied work scopes, technologies, processes, and customers.
Mastering delegation will unlock exciting new career opportunities for you too!
Concerns and fears will diminish when you invest time to train team members you can trust and rely on.
You’ll feel more relaxed, liberated and confident knowing work is still getting accomplished without your direct involvement.
Your team members will feel ownership for the success of the organization while gaining new leadership skills and capabilities. They will thank you for it!
Stay empowered and lead assertively!