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Time Management
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1. I’ll lose control of the task.
2. I’m the only person who can do it right.
3. I’ll look bad for giving it to someone else.
4. I’m afraid that I don’t have the authority to delegate.
5. If the person to whom I delegate the task succeeds, I may
become dispensable.
6. I just never thought of it.
Let Go!
Most frequently, the reluctance to delegate is an expres-
sion of the need to retain control. As we pointed out ear-
lier, attaining and holding control of situations is a necessary element
of good time management, because it’s impossible to make efficient
use of time when you’re at the mercy of people and situations outside
your control.
However, if you insist on retaining control of every detail of the situ-
ations you’re responsible for, you’re failing to understand the real
nature and benefits of control. An important measure of your influ-
ence may be how well you can exert your authority in a way that
allows you to extend that authority. Unless you can relinquish control
of little things, you have little hope of extending your command over
the big things.
Sometimes, paradoxically, the only way to take control is to relinquish
control over details that take up your precious time.

Once you’ve pinpointed the emotional barriers to delegating,
you should feel freer to consider the possibility of assigning
duties to others. Only in very rare instances are the above rea-
sons for not delegating actually valid—and that’s usually when
you’re the appropriate person for the job.
One final point: some people tend to overdelegate. It’s their
way of shirking responsibility. That’s poor motivation.
Another sin—to simply forget about a project once you
assign it. A reminder: delegate, don’t abdicate.

The Key Steps of Delegation

Deciding to delegate is a minor part of the battle. Doing it right
is a much bigger challenge.