Four different types of delegation you need to know
Delegation, or entrusting a task or responsibility to another person, is something we don't spend enough time preparing for before we do it.
How often do you think about how to approach delegation depending on the employee and project? Or do you have a standardized approach or habit for delegating that you do every time?
I've found four main types of delegation as pretty standard in any organization, that each have different requirements within the partnership.
On the surface, these each may seem like you are responsible for very similar work: setting clear expectations, being available for support as needed, and reviewing the project after completion. However, there are several nuances in the type of work you're delegating that you need to be thinking about before you even have the conversation with the person you're delegating to.
Within each type, I also have common 'watch outs' where I see most people struggling along the way to help you plan ahead and avoid the common pitfalls.
If you're looking for a step-by-step guide for delegating, check out my previous blog post: How and when to delegate as a leader next.
Level 1: delegating to learn a new task/project
This is typically for new employees and/or someone new to a task or project. Here, you're not only delegating a task but you're also responsible for training them (or setting up their training) since they aren't yet familiar with the task. You'll want to plan this out in advance before meeting with the person to think through the different levels of support they need, tools they need access to, and how you can best support them. This level may also require more checkpoints along the way to ensure that they are on track and so that the employee can build up their confidence enough to be able to do it on their own in the future.
What are you responsible for as delegator:
Setting clear expectations
Offer shadowing
Status checks
Review before completion
Review after completion
What are they responsible for as delegatee:
Receive training
Shadowing others
Executing tasks
Status checks
Review before completion
Review after completion
Watch outs: In this level, you need to make sure that the delegatee gets more and more comfortable with the material they're learning so that they feel confident enough to run with it on their own in the future. It's a delicate balance between letting them struggle a bit on their own and providing enough support. If you provide too much support and guidance along the way you could become a crutch for them where they constantly rely on you and don't take initiative.
Level 2: delegating to run with execution of daily tasks/projects
This is typically for employees after their first 90 days or so. They've already received training on their responsibilities, and have a good understanding of the projects, resources, and tools they'll need to get their job done. Now, there is less responsibility on your end as the delegator since you're mostly giving direction and being available as needed, and trusting them to be able to complete the tasks mostly on their own.
What are you responsible for as delegator:
Setting clear expectations
Training or coaching, as needed
Review after completed
What are they responsible for as delegatee:
Executing tasks
Asking for support as needed
Review after completed
Watch outs: Make sure that you both are on the same page with clear expectations for the end result and deadline. This is where most issues come up because there is some sort of miscommunication at the beginning of the delegation, or assumptions were made along the way, then when you check in at the deadline and see that you're not on the same page, it will cost you both more time to make adjustments and scramble at the last minute. Another way to help is scheduling check-ins along the way, even if they don't have questions, to help talk through where they're at, what's left to be done, and see if anything has changed on either side.
Level 3: delegating to run with leading a project
This is typically for experienced employees who are very familiar with the team, resources, and projects. You trust them with more responsibility than simply completing tasks, because now they will be the point-person for a whole project, from beginning to end. This will require them to work well with other people, potentially other teams or departments, and be able to see the bigger picture (strategy) of a whole project coming together.
What are you responsible for as delegator:
Setting clear expectations
Available for support as needed
Review after completed
What are they responsible for as delegatee:
Lead project: coordinate resources, timelines, and people
Executing tasks
Asking for support as needed
Review after completed
Watch outs: Similar to level 2, you need to make sure you communicate very clear expectations and deadlines at the beginning to make sure neither of you are surprised at the end of the project. You may also need to remind yourself that this person will likely approach the project in a different way than you would, and that doesn't necessarily mean it's wrong. Talk through their plan together to make sure they can still get to the end result, even if they take a different path than you would.
Level 4: to make decisions on your behalf
This is typically for department leads and/or your back-up or proxy when you're unavailable.
For department leads, you tend to see an executive (their boss) delegate the day-to-day management of the entire department to the department lead. This can include managing employees, budgets, resources, and multiple short and long term projects. Likely, the executive and department lead check in regularly about the status of long-term goals of the department or anything high-risk along the way, but the executive likely doesn't need to know the details of the day-to-day work that is happening.
A back-up or proxy when you're unavailable could be someone covering for you while you're on vacation, leave, or simply in an all-day meeting. In these situations, it's best to communicate what your expectations are for what they can and need to be handled, and if there is anything urgent or high-risk enough that they should still come to you. You also want to bring them up to speed on anything urgent in your projects so they're as prepared as possible.
What are you responsible for as delegator:
Setting clear expectations
Available for support as needed
Review after completion
What are they responsible for as delegatee:
Coming up with ideas
Making decision(s)
Leading project or task
Review with you after completion
Watch outs: At this level, you need to make sure you and the person you're delegating to are communicating effectively and consistently, on both sides. I've seen issues with department leads holding back too much information from their boss, so the executive has no idea what's going on unless something really bad happens and they ask for help, and it's usually too late. I've also seen proxies making decisions on behalf of someone else but not realizing until later that they overstepped and should not have made a decision on the matter. I've said it before and I'll say it again - set and communicate clear expectations!
Curious which delegation blind spots might be holding you back? Take the free Leadership Blind Spot Audit… Delegation is skill #1. Take the audit here.
Brittany Canaski is a highly-rated Leadership Coach, Trainer, and Founder of Hello Velocity where she builds confident leaders and high-performing teams. When she's not building her business, you can find her planning her next travel adventure with her husband, watching Formula 1 racing, or volunteering in her local community of Charlotte, NC.
