How to solve management problems in delegation? - Part 1

When delegating tasks to subordinates, you may encounter challenges at various stages—from initial assignment to execution and final delivery. Many of these issues stem from people management. This chapter explores common problems you might face when dealing with people and outlines steps to solve them. However, before diving in, please review the chapter “How to ensure a delegated task gets done the way you want?” if you haven’t already.

When they say they do not have time

When you approach people to delegate more work, they might refuse upfront, citing an already heavy workload or lack of time for new responsibilities.

This situation can be challenging, as you may not know their full workload or mindset. Your subordinate might genuinely have too much on their plate, or they could be avoiding new work despite having some free time. To manage this situation effectively, you need to uncover the root cause of their refusal. Schedule a meeting with your teammate to analyze their work schedule. This meeting should address the following questions:

1. Is the subordinate’s claim of having no time available accurate?
2. Are they using their time effectively, or do they need coaching in time management?
3. Are they focusing on the right priorities, or do they need help with task prioritization?
4. Are they being truthful, or do they genuinely lack available time?
5. If they truly don’t have time, how can we help them offload less important work to accommodate the new assignment?

For team members you trust due to a history of working together, you might believe their time constraints and jump directly to helping them prioritize. For newer team members or those you lack experience with, it’s crucial to set up a meeting to review their work schedule.

If you don’t conduct these schedule review sessions with newcomers, they might think they can avoid new work by citing time constraints in the future. However, if you consistently follow up with a schedule review where they must explain their current tasks and priorities, they’ll be more cautious about refusing work, knowing it will lead to a thorough discussion.

When they can not say “NO”

In every team, there are individuals who never say “no” to any task given to them. This could be because they genuinely want to help, strive to contribute their best, or are too shy, introverted, or cautious to refuse. These team members earnestly try to fulfil all their commitments and work diligently to achieve their goals.

Such subordinates are invaluable assets—smart and hard-working. They consistently deliver results, making you and other team members turn to them repeatedly for assistance. However, these star performers require careful management. Their inability to decline work often leads them to take on more than they can handle. While they strive to complete all tasks, everyone has limits on time and energy. Pushing beyond these boundaries can result in burnout, from which even your top team members aren’t immune. Moreover, since these individuals never refused work initially, they’re unlikely to ask for help when overwhelmed. Instead, they may suffer silently until reaching a breaking point where they can no longer manage the workload, potentially leading to resignation.

These individuals are your future leaders who typically need coaching and guidance. If you’ve previously struggled with time management and delegation, they might be at a similar stage now. They need mentors to help them navigate these challenges. You can connect them with mentors who can coach them in delegation and time management skills. Help them prioritise their schedule by removing less important tasks and clarifying which responsibilities take precedence and which can be delegated. Build their confidence in saying “no” when necessary. Additionally, assign them occasional fun projects to add variety to their work schedule.

When they resist because task is not in their Job Description

Another challenge we may encounter when delegating a new task is upfront rejection or resistance because the task isn’t in the subordinate’s job description. This situation is delicate, as they have a valid argument: “I wasn’t hired to do this work.” You can’t simply negate this, even if you intend to delegate the task. Using authority to force someone to accept an assignment will almost always backfire.

To resolve this impasse, explain the bigger picture to your subordinate. Highlight why this task is important for their growth, what personal benefits they’ll gain, and how it aligns with their personal goals. It’s essentially a sales pitch—if you find it difficult to sell, consider redesigning the task to make it more appealing.

Sometimes, the task might be simple and mundane, with no apparent learning or growth opportunities. You can’t sell a task that offers no benefits to the subordinate—no matter how persuasive you are, they’ll see through attempts to dress up a mundane task as something more. Therefore, avoid giving all the boring tasks to your teammates; make sure you’re doing your fair share too.

When they are not able to take lead

Sometimes you’ll discover that the person you delegated to isn’t a self-starter. They’re not proactive and seem to disappear unless you chase them for updates. You’ll also notice that this person lacks decision-making skills and often gets stuck on problems, unable to solve them even when you think the solution is straightforward. They won’t inform you when they’ve finished a task or have bandwidth for another one. Instead, they’ll leave it to you to figure out solutions, and unless you do, they’ll enjoy fleeting success in dodging responsibilities.

There could be multiple reasons for this behavior. The person might feel demotivated with the work, or perhaps they were never interested in the task and it was forced upon them. They might have decided to leave the team and are looking for other opportunities. Personal life issues—such as problems with a spouse, children, or in-laws—could be causing mental exhaustion, affecting their focus at work. Sometimes, people take on freelance assignments, diverting their attention to this extra income at the expense of their full-time job.

There are two approaches to this problem. If you have a history of working together and this person used to be hardworking without these issues, it likely means they’re either demotivated and no longer feel their interests align with the team, or they’re struggling with personal or external factors. In this scenario, you should meet with them to help navigate the situation. You could offer support if they need to address personal problems or discuss why they feel demotivated at work and address those issues.

However, if this behavior is consistent with past experiences, the situation requires a firmer approach. Start by introspecting to see if you need to provide help, training, coaching, or guidelines. If none of this works, inform the person that such behavior isn’t tolerated in the workplace, and they must either improve or face consequences. Remember, there’s no shame in parting ways with underperforming team members.

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