Situation: A company is growing rapidly. As it grows it is important to build the management team needed to support this growth. A few talented potential managers have a tough time letting go of previous responsibilities. How does the CEO help them to let go of previous responsibilities. How do you improve delegation?

Advice from the CEOs:

• Don’t teach method. The individuals to whom responsibilities are to be delegated may feel like trained monkeys, not the bright creative people that they are.
  • Set goals. Give them the information that they need to get there. Let them know that there is a procedure, and they are welcomed to use or adapt this as they wish. If they can find a better way that is more efficient – Wonderful!
  • Empower them. This is an investment. Like many investments, it may take time to generate a return, but be patient and wait for this return.
• Look at the required roles and prioritize them as most to least critical to the company.
  • Start delegating the less critical roles, as well as the roles that are less time sensitive.
  • This will make it easier to maintain patience.
  • Also, delegate roles that play to the strengths of those to whom new responsibilities are being delegated. Those taking these roles will be happier and will do a better job.
• Create an organizational chart for each department and responsibilities.
  • Make sure that all of the roles for which a department is responsible are included, but group these into similar roles so that there are, for example, 3-5 role delegations.
  • Prioritize each role for importance and urgency.
  • Take the least urgent and significant role and delegate it. Either assign it to an existing individual, or hire someone to take it on.
  • Once this has been done this and those to whom roles are delegated are used to them, do the same with the next least important or urgent role.
  • Do this over time until all the needed roles have been delegated, and managers are comfortable managing the individuals now responsible for them.
  • A valuable resource is the EMyth Revisited by Michael Gerber. It is a quick read and provides guidelines for how to delegate and let go of responsibilities the organization grows.

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