Why do you think people refuse to delegate tasks?
They are micro-managers and just have to keep control
They are distrustful about the performance of team members; suspecting team members will ’shove them under a bus’.
They don’t know there is too much to do
The biggest reason: Dread of the upfront and ongoing work involved in successful delegating.
Delegating isn’t simply passing a task off to someone else on the team and heading for the golf course. The delegatee must have information and possibly training from the delegator. The delegator must be available for questions and reports. Yet, with all of this extra work, studies show that delegation allows the best use of time and skills throughout the team.
I found interesting information at Mindtools.com (http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newLDR_98.htm) Read the article and find a link to a Delegation Worksheet (free download)
More interesting and pertinant information about the value of delegating in Basics of Delegating (http://www.managmenthelp.org/building/delegate/basics.htm)
So, what about this buzzing bee hive business that Jaime is writing about at Partnering with a Virtual Assistant ? http://www.vanetworking.com/blog
She uses the society of a bee hive as an analogy and justification to consider hiring a VA. Typically, delegating is viewed through the work of a team, all are equals going in. When a Virtual Assistant is hired, will there be a TEAM view and attitude or will the VA be more like an employee? If business people can get past that ‘employee snapshot’ and move right into the Vision of Success that connects contracting with a professional to hand off some tasks that will help the business. There isn’t the same dynamic as must be considered with an inhouse team; the development of the Virtual Assistant isn’t a real issue. The accomplishment of the project is the priority. Business leaders can be ROYALTY for a project and hire some worker bees for the benefit of the business.
This kind of ‘delegation’ is non-competitive. The virtual assistant comes into the mix as a new bee, so to speak, with excellent hive-life skills…this could prevent a swarm of the rest of the workers. Worker bees revere their queen until she fails them; then they kill her. A virtual assistant bee can keep a crown shining for a business queen (or king).
