As part of the ongoing planning work that I’ve been doing with Wise Law office (introduced with my article about law firm retreats and Garry Wise’s live tweets from the event!), we have now embarked on a lunch and learn series. Rachel Spence, Law Clerk at the firm, kicked things off with a session on delegation.
Here are a few of the key points covered:
Why might people resist delegation?
Delegator:
- Poor performance on the part of the delegatee will make the delegator look bad.
- If time frees up he / she may have to take on unfamiliar tasks.
- One’s contributions will no longer be seen as indispensable.
Delegatee:
- Fear that he / she may not be capable of carrying out the assignment.
- Lack of desire to challenge oneself.
- Lack of understanding of what’s expected.
How can we overcome this resistance?
Delegator:
- Do the preparatory work that will set the delegatee up for success. Provide clear instructions. Establish follow up dates to review in progress work. Allow sufficient time for the delegatee to make revisions him or herself.
- Acknowledge that this type of support positions you to grow and make greater contributions to the firm.
Delegatee:
- Ask questions and request discussion or examples until you feel prepared for the task.
This lunch and learn session provided everyone with an understanding of the advantages and the process of delegation. But perhaps its greatest value was that it prompted discussion about specific opportunities to delegate better.
Congratulations Rachel for sharing what you learned at a recent management program and for demonstrating leadership in doing so!
Related articles: Stop taking back what you delegate!
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