Too often delegating is seen as “dele-dumping” where the process of delegating is a dump and run. Or we may see that what we are delegating as unloading “crap” we don’t want.
We can change the context of delegating by replacing the word delegation with development. When we hand off a task to someone else, it can be a development opportunity for them. Even if you think you are passing along your “crap” work, remember that one person’s crap is someone else’s fertilizer.
Delegation also creates organizational development because we strive to move tasks to the lowest-cost alternative. In this way, we are developing our organizations.
We may hold back on delegating (or developing) because we feel we are adding to another person’s burden. Part of the development process needs to help others delegate tasks that are no longer of value to him or her. Even giving up a task entirely is delegation because you have passed that task off to the ether of time.