Last updated on Mar 21, 2024

Experienced professionals are prone to making these delegation mistakes. Are you one of them?

Delegation is a vital skill for experienced professionals in corporate finance, as it allows them to leverage their time, expertise, and resources more efficiently and effectively. However, delegation is not always easy or straightforward, and even seasoned leaders can make common mistakes that undermine their goals and relationships. In this article, we will discuss some of the most frequent delegation pitfalls that you might be falling into, and how to avoid them.

1 Over-delegating or under-delegating

One of the most challenging aspects of delegation is finding the right balance between giving too much or too little responsibility to your team members. Over-delegating can lead to micromanagement, loss of control, and resentment, while under-delegating can result in boredom, frustration, and missed opportunities for growth. To avoid these extremes, you need to assess the skills, experience, and motivation of each individual, and tailor your delegation style accordingly. You also need to communicate clearly your expectations, deadlines, and feedback mechanisms, and monitor the progress and outcomes of the delegated tasks.

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Myra Rockymore , SSGB

Consultant—Sr Lean Champion/Coach, Six Sigma Green Belt, Billing, A/R Team Lead,Sr Analyst
I agree delegation is a key element to being a successful manager. Delegation allows opportunity to train your team so they can learn and grow to be able to advance in their career. Also as a manager you delegation allows you to do better job of balancing your work load to be able to meet all obligations without being overwhelmed by micromanaging every task. Important that people chosen for responsibilities that fit their skill set so manager is confident tasks will be done properly and manger can serve as support as required.
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Guilherme Henrique .'.

Administrador, Perito Judicial e Consultor Empresarial
Delegar é um desafio de qualquer gestor técnico, orientado para resultados. Mas existem formas de deixar este processo de transferência de trabalho um pouco mais suave. Um ponto importante é por meio do diálogo, entender as limitações dos subordinados, pois as vezes, falta teoria, falta prática, falta conhecer um pouco mais do que está sendo pedido. Eu sempre digo: Comece pelo porque, com isso, o colaborador vai entender o proposito da atividade e vai ter o devido engajamento para iniciá-la. e Sempre dê o suporte necessário na realização das tarefas.

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SeongJin Kim

Head of Business Management Part, Samsung Foundry | Excelling in leading financial optimization and supporting growth strategies
[#1/2] If I'm honest, I should say that when I was leading a team of eight people (which we call a 'part'), I initially had some difficulties with delegation and empowerment. I didn't really like the way my team members dealt with problems in terms of speed, quality, and relevance. However, through studying past successes and failures in my organization and human history, I became very aware of the value of delegation. I know someone who was promoted to director very quickly, but now I see him as a director-level individual contributor because throughout his career, he has destroyed many of his own teams. So I have been working harder to delegate well (even though no one knows my effort).
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SeongJin Kim

Head of Business Management Part, Samsung Foundry | Excelling in leading financial optimization and supporting growth strategies
[#2/2] The most significant obstacle you have to overcome is your boss's criticism. They want you to do eight times your former individual contribution. Be patient and ask your boss to be patient too. It is a difficult process. Your VP also has difficulties understanding people under him/her. Remember, he/she is a VP/SVP/EVP because they outperformed everyone else, just as you are a senior manager because you do the same. So, to be a good delegator, it is very important to communicate with the person who leads you as well as with the people you lead. (There's something I want to tell more, but there's a restriction....)
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João Carlos Cruz

LinkedIn Top Voice & Creator | Headhunter | Personal Branding | Executive Mentor | Leader Manager | Networker | Professional with 50 years in the market | USP | FAAP | FGV | Boston University
Ao delegar uma tarefa, certifique-se de escolher a pessoa mais adequada para realizá-la. Considere as habilidades, experiências e interesses de cada membro da equipe. Comunique claramente as expectativas, objetivos e prazos da tarefa delegada. Certifique-se de que a pessoa entende o que está sendo solicitado e o resultado esperado. Certifique-se de que a pessoa tem os recursos necessários para concluir a tarefa com sucesso. Isso pode incluir tempo, orçamento, ferramentas, informações e suporte adequados. Defina um processo claro de acompanhamento para verificar o progresso da tarefa delegada. Agende reuniões regulares ou atualizações para discutir o andamento e oferecer orientação, se necessário. Esteja disponível para oferecer orientação.

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2 Delegating only the tasks you don't like

Another common mistake that experienced professionals make is delegating only the tasks that they don't enjoy or find challenging, and keeping the ones that they like or excel at. This can create a negative perception among your team members, who might feel that you are dumping the boring or difficult work on them, while you are taking all the credit and glory for the more rewarding or exciting tasks. To avoid this, you need to delegate strategically, based on the goals, priorities, and strengths of your team, and not on your personal preferences or biases. You also need to recognize and appreciate the contributions and achievements of your team members, and share the rewards and recognition with them.

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Guilherme Henrique .'.

Administrador, Perito Judicial e Consultor Empresarial
Sigo o princípio estoico que diz: Comece pelo difícil, que o fácil se tornará mais fácil. Tarefas difíceis, não deixam de ser tarefas, ou sejam, devem ser feitas. Mas podemos nos aproveitar de algum tempo para utiliza-las como forma de aprendizado, deixando os nossos colaboradores atuarem nelas para que se desenvolva a percepção da complexidade.

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3 Delegating without providing support or resources

Another common mistake that experienced professionals make is delegating without providing adequate support or resources to their team members. This can lead to confusion, frustration, and failure, as your team members might not have the necessary information, tools, or guidance to complete the tasks effectively and efficiently. To avoid this, you need to delegate with empowerment, meaning that you give your team members the authority, autonomy, and accountability to make decisions and solve problems within their scope of work. You also need to provide them with the relevant data, materials, and training that they need, and offer them regular feedback, coaching, and mentoring.

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Guilherme Henrique .'.

Administrador, Perito Judicial e Consultor Empresarial
Fazer sem mostrar o porque, como e o que deve ser feito, é uma maldade das grandes, pior ainda é cobrar performance de quem não sabe o que está fazendo. Esta ação pode ser fatal para o engajamento dos colaboradores.

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4 Delegating without considering the impact or consequences

Another common mistake that experienced professionals make is delegating without considering the impact or consequences of the tasks on the overall project, strategy, or organization. This can lead to misalignment, duplication, or conflict, as your team members might not understand how their tasks fit into the bigger picture, or how they affect other stakeholders or processes. To avoid this, you need to delegate with alignment, meaning that you link the tasks to the vision, mission, and values of your organization, and explain how they contribute to the desired outcomes and objectives. You also need to coordinate and collaborate with other teams or departments, and ensure that the tasks are aligned with the standards, policies, and regulations of your organization.

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Guilherme Henrique .'.

Administrador, Perito Judicial e Consultor Empresarial
Uma das maiores preocupações que tenho é com a perda de identidade funcional no trabalho. Uma vez que se pede tudo a um determinado colaborador, principalmente atividades que não são diretamente ligadas ao core deste colaborador, sabemos que o ser humano tem uma predisposição para se acostumar com determinadas situações, temos que ter cuidado para que este colaborador não tenha sua identidade funcional perdida, ou seja, foi contratado para fazer A e está fazendo B. e isto é muito comum nas organizações. Para piorar, o colaborador pode solicitar reconhecimento a respeito das tarefas que não são dele. Muito Grave.

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5 Delegating without following up or evaluating

Another common mistake that experienced professionals make is delegating without following up or evaluating the results of the tasks. This can lead to complacency, inconsistency, or errors, as your team members might not receive timely or constructive feedback, or might not learn from their mistakes or successes. To avoid this, you need to delegate with evaluation, meaning that you measure and monitor the performance and quality of the tasks, and provide your team members with clear and specific feedback, both positive and negative. You also need to celebrate and reward the achievements and improvements of your team members, and identify and address the challenges and gaps that they face.

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