This is an updated version of the article “Why Leaders Should Invest in Delegating” published in the CPABC Newsroom in June 2024. Ron also spoke about this topic in an episode of the Coffee Chats with CPABC podcast series.
Effective delegation can improve a leader’s abilities, strengthen team bonds, and enable others to develop new skills. Ineffective delegation, on the other hand, keeps leaders as busy as they were before and weakens team morale.
Fearing the latter—and short on time—leaders may think it’s easier to keep doing everything themselves. As a CPA myself, I understand how challenging it can be for busy accounting professionals to find the time to train others. But holding on to all of our responsibilities isn’t sustainable; nor is it good for the team.
Think of delegation as an investment that will pay dividends in the future. In addition to freeing up your time to work on more strategic projects and focus on activities that can increase your team’s performance, delegating effectively will support your team’s development as team members strengthen their skills and take on more complex work. Put another way: Given that one of our most important duties as leaders is to develop the next generation, we actually do our teams a disservice when we don’t delegate.
So, what’s the secret to doing it well? I believe leaders who delegate successfully follow best practices like those outlined in the ART of Delegating Framework created by Ann Gomez, the founder of Clear Concept Inc. This framework consists of three steps: Assign, Review, and Teach, summarized here.
Step 1: Assign
Once you’ve explained the why, what, who, how, and when of the task, it’s important to confirm that your delegatee understands both the task and the end goal. To avoid putting them on the defensive, ask an open-ended question like, “What approach will you take?” If it becomes clear that they haven’t understood the assignment, you’ll need to spend more time on coaching.
Additionally, it’s important to explain why the work is needed and how it connects to the organization’s overall objectives, as people are more engaged and invested in their work when they understand its purpose. Another tip is to let your team members find their own path rather than insisting that they do things your way—this type of openness can empower them and lead to innovation.
Lastly, it’s important to schedule a couple of interim check-ins to support the person doing the work, which brings us to the next step.
Step 2: Review
We can’t expect others to be immediate experts, even if they’re highly skilled, which is why we need to schedule regular interim reviews in advance. These reviews will give our delegatees the chance to ask us questions and give us the chance to provide support and maybe some course correction.
Unfortunately, this critical step often gets skipped or falls off the radar. That’s why it’s helpful to set up reviews in advance, ideally with both parties contributing to the plan.
Step 3: Teach
After assigning work, it can be tempting for delegators to jump back in and take over, particularly during check-ins or interim reviews. However, unless the situation is critical, it’s important to resist this temptation and provide guidance instead. People learn by doing, and they’re empowered when given the autonomy to see a job through.
It’s also important to set the bar at a reasonable level. The goal when delegating is to do so in a supportive and engaging manner that sets everyone up for success—this means that we can’t expect perfection. We may even need to let our team members fail forward, since failure is a learning opportunity (of course, it will depend on the complexity and urgency of the task, so this is something to consider at the outset).
Thinking long term
Delegation, like any skill, can be learned. Following these steps and investing some time and effort up front will yield great results—for you and your team—over the long term.
MORE FROM THE AUTHOR
Ron presented “The ART of Delegating” and “Your Habit Blueprint” at CPABC’s PD Nexus: Business & Leadership Insights virtual conference on July 25, 2024. Both sessions are available on demand.
Ron Monteiro is a CPA, CMA, in Ontario and an expert facilitator with Clear Concept Inc. Working with organizations and individuals, Ron helps people improve their productivity, collaboration, and leadership skills, and empowers them to thrive within high-performing teams. For more helpful resources, visit clearconceptinc.ca.
This article was originally published in the November/December 2024 issue of CPABC in Focus.
