Delegation Tips
This page brings together a special series of short, practical delegation tips, originally shared in a simple bulletin format and followed by leaders over an extended period of time.
The Daily Tips quickly became a valued resource for managers looking to delegate more effectively and lead with greater confidence.
Although the series has now come to an end, I’m pleased to say these tips are still highly relevant, well regarded and frequently referenced by leaders today. The fundamentals of good delegation don’t change, and each tip offers timeless practical guidance that can be applied immediately in day-to-day leadership situations.
I’m featuring this collection for you as an ongoing resource, drawing on my experience of working closely with executives and leadership teams.
I hope they continue to support you in developing stronger teams, greater clarity and more effective leadership.
Dave Stitt, MCC
Christmas parties and leadership
The temptation can be to get into a boozy huddle with one’s clique. And why not? ‘Tis the season to be merry, after all. But here’s why you should spare a thought for the outsiders…
Keeping it real
The BBC is spending £87 million of taxpayers’ cash to make the EastEnders set more realistic. Is that okay?
Guess what, chaos happens
“I’m embarrassed to be British,” you’ll hear people say today as the party in government stands up in the middle of its flume ride to Brexit in order to have a fight with itself. Well, I’m not embarrassed, and I’ll tell you why.
You are the glue
“People join firms,” management guru Marcus Buckingham observed, “but leave managers.” In our splintered world, you are the glue holding your bit of the organisation together, and you have a big influence on the happiness and productivity of the people around you.
Behind the banter
The people you’ll talk to today may be on the verge of suicide, so be humane, and treat them with respect and kindness. Hopelessness, anxiety, dread, the feeling of failure, can strike any of us at any time. We can lose control of our thoughts and feelings.
In praise of middle management
“Middle management” is a bad word these days, signifying deadweight bureaucracy that resists change. I used to feel that way, but now I’m not so sure. Managers matter, and here’s why.
The world will mess with you
What happened to Theresa May’s Brexit plan? Simple: the world messed with it. By ‘the world’ I mean systems, the interlinked networks of forces that always get in the way. The control we have over systems is practically nil, but that doesn’t mean we can’t respond.
Real life comes at you fast
While writing my book on delegation, I was conscious of the fact that we don’t master an art by having it accurately described to us. You have to immerse yourself in a live setting so all your senses learn. It’s rarely comfortable.
I invented a new type of conversation
A Big Conversation is one where the delegatee is held to account, but in good way, a way that builds mutual trust and confidence. Few of us know instinctively how to hold such a conversation, so I wrote a recipe.
How to send angry emails
When someone you’re working with really ticks you off in an email, it’s so tempting to respond angrily, especially if they’ve been disparaging or wilfully obtuse. By all means write an angry email in response, but remember to do this …
Managing by request and promise
If the people in your team really trust each other, you can push yourselves to bigger results through an approach I call “Managing by Request and Promise”. The secret sauce is the ability to say no …
Tackling tumbleweeds
You tell your team your big plan. “Any questions?” you ask, and all you get is blank stares. Your heart races. You really need them on board but they’re looking at you like you’re on another planet. Here’s a tip.