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Organizational Culture—Are You Set Up
to Succeed?

Effective delegation does not occur in a vacuum. Your organization or household culture has a big influence on how effectively you can delegate.

For example, some organizations praise managers for empowering their employees and encourage them to reward and recognize initiative—an environment that is ripe for delegating. Yet, some organizations encourage micromanagement and martyrdom among their leaders, creating an environment that screams: “If you want it done right, do it yourself.”

But also look beyond the management mentality in your organization to that of the rank-and-file employees. Are employees motivated and driven to take initiative? Or is your organization dominated by a bargaining unit, such as a union, that discourages employees from doing anything beyond their immediate job description.

For you to fully bring delegation to your work, you have to be in a workplace that will allow you to succeed. If employees are discouraged from stretching and growing beyond their current capabilities, or if your management does not trust the workforce, it will be difficult to practice the more ideal techniques of delegation.

But even if your company’s culture is less than optimal for delegating, practicing even some degree of delegation is better than none at all.