You're a program manager who's delegating tasks. What are the most common mistakes you might make?

1 Not clarifying expectations

When you delegate a task, you need to communicate clearly what you expect from the person who will perform it. This includes the scope, deadline, quality standards, budget, and reporting requirements. If you don't provide enough guidance, you risk creating confusion, frustration, and rework. On the other hand, if you provide too much detail, you might micromanage, stifle creativity, and undermine trust. To avoid this mistake, use the SMART criteria (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound) to define the task and agree on the outcomes and indicators.

2 Not matching tasks to skills

Another common mistake is to delegate tasks without considering the skills, interests, and availability of your team members and stakeholders. This can lead to poor performance, low motivation, and missed deadlines. To avoid this mistake, you need to assess the strengths and weaknesses of your team and assign tasks accordingly. You also need to balance the workload and avoid overloading or underutilizing anyone. Additionally, you need to factor in the development needs and career aspirations of your team and provide them with opportunities to learn and grow.

3 Not providing feedback and support

Delegation doesn't mean dumping a task on someone and forgetting about it. You still need to monitor the progress, provide feedback, and offer support. If you don't do this, you might miss issues, errors, or delays that could jeopardize your program. You might also demoralize your team and make them feel isolated or ignored. To avoid this mistake, you need to establish regular check-ins and updates with your team and stakeholders. You also need to give constructive and timely feedback and acknowledge their achievements and challenges. Moreover, you need to be available and responsive to their questions and concerns and help them overcome any obstacles.

4 Not delegating authority and responsibility

One of the biggest mistakes you can make as a program manager is to delegate tasks but not authority and responsibility. This means that you still make all the decisions, approve all the changes, and handle all the problems. This can create bottlenecks, delays, and inefficiencies in your program. It can also undermine the confidence and autonomy of your team and stakeholders. To avoid this mistake, you need to empower your team and stakeholders to make decisions and take actions within their scope and mandate. You also need to hold them accountable for the results and consequences of their tasks.

5 Not delegating enough or too much

Finding the right balance between delegating too much or too little can be challenging for any program manager. If you delegate too little, you might end up doing everything yourself, wasting your time and energy, and neglecting your strategic role. You might also create a dependency culture and hinder the development of your team and stakeholders. If you delegate too much, you might lose control, visibility, and alignment of your program. You might also create unrealistic expectations and overload your team and stakeholders. To avoid this mistake, you need to prioritize your tasks and identify which ones you should do, delegate, or eliminate. You also need to assess the readiness and capability of your team and stakeholders and adjust your level of delegation accordingly.

6 Not learning from delegation

The final mistake you might make as a program manager is to delegate tasks but not learn from the process and the outcomes. Delegation is not only a way to get things done, but also a way to improve your skills, knowledge, and relationships. If you don't learn from delegation, you might miss valuable insights, feedback, and lessons that could help you enhance your program. You might also miss opportunities to recognize and reward your team and stakeholders and foster a culture of collaboration and trust. To avoid this mistake, you need to reflect on your delegation experience and identify what worked well and what didn't. You also need to solicit and act on feedback from your team and stakeholders and celebrate and share your successes and failures.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?