Why It's So Hard to Delegate and How to Improve
Timestamps are as accurate as they can be but may be slightly off. We encourage you to listen to the full context.
Podcast Summary
In this episode of HBR Ideacast, hosts Alison Beard and Adi Ignatius explore one of management's most persistent challenges with MIT's Elizabeth Johnson. Johnson reveals four critical barriers that prevent leaders from delegating effectively: the dopamine addiction to personal productivity (10:45), employees bouncing work back when they need help, pressure from senior leadership to stay in the weeds (15:58), and organizations that reward doing over delegating. The conversation uncovers how failed delegation creates a triple cost—wasting expensive talent on low-value work, stunting team growth, and trapping leaders in tactical tasks instead of strategic thinking (03:48). Johnson provides a practical roadmap for overcoming these obstacles, from creating dopamine-rich delegation checklists to designing custom 360 reviews that measure delegation effectiveness across the entire organization.
Speakers
Elizabeth Johnson
Senior lecturer at the MIT Sloan School of Management and author of the HBR article "Why Aren't I Better at Delegating?" Her research focuses on leadership effectiveness and organizational performance, with particular expertise in helping high-achieving professionals overcome barriers to effective delegation.
Alison Beard (Co-Host)
Co-host of the HBR IdeaCast and senior editor at Harvard Business Review. She brings extensive experience in business journalism and leadership development, regularly interviewing top executives and thought leaders for one of the world's most influential business publications.
Adi Ignatius (Co-Host)
Co-host of the HBR IdeaCast and former editor-in-chief of Harvard Business Review for fifteen years. His leadership experience and deep understanding of management challenges make him a trusted voice for ambitious professionals seeking strategic insights and career advancement.
Key Takeaways
Apply the "Best Cheapest Person" Test
Before keeping any task, ask: "Am I the best cheapest person to do this work?" If not, delegate it to someone who can execute with proper context. This simple filter prevents expensive senior talent from doing work that junior team members could handle, maximizing organizational ROI. (09:40)
Create Dopamine-Rich Delegation Habits
Combat the productivity addiction by building new reward systems around delegation success. Create checklists for context-setting (meeting objectives, required outcomes, team preparation) and tick boxes for coaching moments. Transform delegation from a dopamine deficit into a higher-quality achievement loop. (10:41)
Reset Context Instead of Providing Answers
When team members seek help, resist giving direct solutions. Instead, reframe the original objectives and outcomes, then return the decision to them. This builds capability rather than dependency, while allowing you to assess their decision-making quality for future delegation opportunities. (14:23)
Engineer Delegation Runways
Plan sufficient time between task handoff and deadline to allow multiple feedback loops. This prevents the "faster to do it myself" trap that undermines delegation efforts. Structure 2-3 checkpoint opportunities where team members can return with drafts, ensuring quality without reclaiming the work. (15:15)
Audit Your Unique Value Contribution
Conduct an immediate workload audit: catalog current meetings, projects, and tasks, then identify your unique contribution to each. Isolate work where you're truly the "best cheapest person" and systematically delegate everything else, matching tasks to team members' strengths and development needs. (28:40)
Statistics & Facts
No specific statistics were provided in this episode.
