When delegation is done right, it is a glorious occurrence. You can feel proud in supporting your teammate to be successful while also advancing the goals of your organization and spending time doing your most important work. When it is done wrong, it can leave you embittered and reluctant from parting with important future tasks. Let’s look at some ways delegation can go sideways.
1. Reverse delegation. This is when people try to give you back part of the work. They may come to you and say they cannot find the information and expect you to jump in and rescue the day. Instead of completing the work for them, you can point them in the right direction. They need to navigate their hiccups so they can develop problem-solving skills. Ask the question – what do you think we should do in this situation, and watch their creativity come alive.
2. Over delegation. Giving your team member a task that far outweighs their capacity would translate into more of a frustration than a learning opportunity. To decide if the job is right for the person, you can ask these questions:
1. Did I provide the necessary resources?
2. Was I clear in outlining success?
3. Did I ask for feedback and consider input?
If the answer to any of these questions is no, then it may be a case of over delegation.
3. Too hands-off. Some managers delegate a task and then walk away. It is important to stay involved while letting the employee lead the way. Carol Walker, President of Prepared to Lead offers, “While you don’t want to tell people how to do the job, you must be in a position to evaluate their performance and development.” Clearly, delegation is not the same as abdication so be sure to guide their success.
4. Lack of clarity. You may feel that once you have shared your assignment to be done that the person heard it in the exact way that you intended. Brene Brown, in her book Dare to Lead, suggests an effective method for reaching a meeting of the minds by using the simple phrase, “Paint done for me.” This prompts the person to be specific in their expectations and clear in their intentions. She says, “it gives the people who are charged with the task tons of color and context and fosters curiosity, learning, collaboration, reality-checking, and ultimately success.” I recommend using this language in the co-creation phase, which was outlined in the second blog of this delegation series.
5. Lack of License (Autonomy). Even when leaders delegate effectively, work can stall if people lack the authority to act. Delegation without autonomy creates hesitation, slows decision-making, and pushes work back up the chain. One of the most well-known examples comes from The Ritz-Carlton, where every employee—regardless of role—is entrusted with up to $2,000 per guest, per incident, to resolve issues or enhance the experience without approval. The policy isn’t about spending—it’s about trust. Employees are expected to use judgment, act quickly, and own outcomes. A famous story illustrates this: when a young guest lost his Thomas the Tank Engine toy, staff didn’t just return it—they created photos of the toy enjoying a “vacation” at the hotel before mailing it back. The result was a memorable experience that built lasting loyalty. The lesson is clear: if someone has to check with you before every decision, you haven’t truly delegated—you’ve just reassigned tasks. High-performing teams need clear guardrails and the freedom to act. Autonomy accelerates execution, builds confidence, and reinforces ownership.
Delegation is not about offloading work—it’s about building capacity, developing your people, and scaling your impact. The strongest leaders are intentional about what they own versus what they empower others to lead, pairing clear expectations with real autonomy. Done well, delegation becomes a leadership multiplier—creating teams that perform with confidence and ensuring success is strengthened by you, not dependent on you.
Quote of the day: “The inability to delegate is one of the biggest problems I see with managers at all levels.” – Eli Broad, entrepreneur
Reflection Question: What is one delegation challenge you faced in working with a teammate? How would you tackle that same challenge next time? Comment and share with us, we would love to hear from you!
As a leadership development and executive coach, I work with leaders to help them delegate more effectively, contact me to explore this topic further.
Avoid Reverse Delegation