Loud Thinking June 05, 2014 at 01:05PM

3 Fears Good Delegators Get Over

Despite the benefits (and the necessity) of delegating, managers often feel uneasy about it. But as you hone your skills, you’ll see your fears dissipate and your staff gain confidence and grow more capable. Overcome these common concerns:
“It will just be faster to do it myself.” The amount of time spent planning to delegate will be worth it. As employees’ sense of ownership grows, they’ll accept more responsibility and take it off your hands.
“What if I’m left out of the loop?” Moving from specialist to generalist is tough, and it can be hard to give up tasks you excelled at (and which got you promoted). Use your expertise to guide staff members. You’ll still be involved, but in a more overarching way.
“But they won’t do it the right way!” Instead of trying to control how the task is done, communicate your quality standards. And be open to different approaches; an employee might have a different method to get the same job done.

Adapted by HBR from Delegating Work (20-Minute Manager Series).

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