Time to delegate?

Russell Borland, Partner in Leading Figures, looks at how organisations can gain from effective delegation

Delegation has great benefits, but with all your competing pressures and demands, it's tempting to think it's easier just do things yourself, with the additional benefit of at least knowing what the final product will be like.

It can become a case of 'someday I’ll get around to delegating more effectively, when I get time…'

We all want to be able to work more effectively and focus on the bigger ticket items - those things that will drive our practice or department forward. 

But often there can be hurdles in our way of achieving that objective, most of which are in our heads.  Loss of control, avoiding planning ahead, feelings of guilt at passing on work for example - they can be blockers of effective delegation. 

Let’s take the issue of feeling guilty about delegating, and reverse that thought. 

The more you delegate, the more you will help others in your team or department develop their own skills.  The more you delegate, the more others will need to step up to work alongside you or fill your shoes once you’ve decided to move on. 

By delegating effectively, with some thought on the who, what and when of doing so, it becomes more about the broader organisation than just your own needs - and of course, you have managed to free up some of your time to focus on other things.

Russell will be co-facilitating The Atrium Leadership Programme: Delegation workshop on 23 April, and further courses throughout 2019, at the Law Society.

Find out more about our range of professional skills and training courses for 2019.