I received a direct message from one of my Twitter followers. He posited that I learn how to effectively delegate tasks. He even had a matching URL along the lines of “delegate what you hate to do.”

Do you see a paradox here?

Delegation is not just about “getting stuff off your plate” so that you can do bigger and greater things. If done properly, delegation is an excellent management tool for succession planning, skills development and staff motivation. Getting rid of unpleasant tasks should not be the primary reason for delegation.

Proper delegation provides the persons or teams who will do the work with opportunities to try something different, perhaps even stretch their limits. If there is no challenge, growth and/or motivation that can be gained from the delegated task, chances are, it is closer to dumping than delegating.

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