Do you suffer from delegation stagnation?
Shift from handing out tasks to outsourcing problem ownership to really clear headspace
Some founders run into this one issue when they start scaling their teams.
To increase momentum and gain headspace, they hire people for specific roles, such as head of product or customer success.
Then, several weeks later, they realise that the headspace didn’t free up. On the contrary, it shrank.
Why? Because they are outsourcing tasks instead of problems.
Outsourcing tasks takes time and headspace. You need to detail what needs to be done, which is exactly the thing that takes some time to formalise. And then, you check back if execution went accordingly, step by step.
As a result, some things don’t even get outsourced to your team. They get stuck inside your mind as you are stuck detailing everything. This kills momentum. I call this:
Delegation Stagnation
Founders may suffer from it for a variety of reasons
They feel like they are burdening others when giving vague problems
They feel like they should know everything before handing over things
They want to be/feel in control of everything (neurotic tendencies)
They have perfectionist tendencies, so all details should match their ideal vision
They are insecure that if they don’t own the problem themselves, they might fail, and handing it over is a risk
All reasons are very human, yet you can’t let this stop your startup from growing. Luckily, there’s a way to approach this.
You should shift from handing out task/solution ownership to handing out problem ownership. And in doing so, you should onboard your team into your learning process. Really, they will get it.
Your team is a group of people that is eager to learn. If you listen to any podcast or read any book by a seasoned CEO, they often say that they needed to learn how to delegate.
You can just say this to your involved team members:
“Hey, I want to improve on giving you more ownership of problems, so in the coming weeks, I will be giving you problems instead of concrete tasks. I want to check in with you on how that is going, and evaluate and think of the best way for us to work together”
In this way, you create a feedback loop with the people you are learning with. Everyone knows they should talk to customers to learn what they need; your team members are no different.
Additionally, because people now own the problems they are solving, they will likely work with more drive towards the goals. Win-win!
So, do you suffer from delegation stagnation at times? Do you have any other tips for fellow founders to overcome it?