The delegation paradox

Many managers will tell you that ‘you can’t give people responsibility unless they know what they’re doing.’

Of course, how can they ‘know what they’re doing’ until you give them the opportunity to try?

The former view is a commitment to stalling. Waiting until you’re 100% certain that you have nothing to lose.

The latter comes with the realization that betting on your people (giving them the benefit of the doubt), and allowing them to ‘try, fail, and learn from their mistakes’ is actually the only path to reassurance.

Sure, you can hire them based on competence. Give them more than a few practice rounds.

But the only way to know for sure that you can count on them is to give them the chance to show you how.