Peter writes this chapter as someone who moved through the ranks of engineering management. Engineers who step into leadership often keep the technical work and add the calendar. They do two jobs, neither well, and the team never gets the reps.
Delegation is how leaders match tasks to skill, free their own time for higher-order work, and grow other people. Clear communication of expectations, matching skills to tasks, support and resources, feedback, and recognition are the five practices.
The fear of losing control is real. Training in delegation is how you keep oversight without becoming the finishing machine. Trust is the byproduct of a task well transferred — in writing, with a name and a date.
Lessons
- If it is faster to do it yourself, you are training the team to wait.
- Delegation is career development for them and time management for you.
- Transfer ownership in writing. Informal ‘can you look at this’ is not delegation.
Strategies for effective delegation (from the book)
- Clear communication of expectations, deadlines, and desired outcomes.
- Match skills and tasks.
- Provide support and resources — training, guidance, tools.
- Encourage feedback about the delegated work.
- Recognize and appreciate completed work.
Questions
- What are you still holding because you enjoy it?
- Who could own it with support this month?
- Where is fear of quality actually fear of identity?
The stop-doing list
- Write five items you still personally finish.
- Pick two. Name a person, a support plan, and a date.
- Tell them this week. Do not take the work back.