Many CIOs believe they can handle any task effectively. While that’s usually true, highly effective leaders also know that delegating mundane and trivial tasks to subordinates will allow them to focus on more important matters.
Unfortunately, in their haste to offload time-wasting tasks, many CIOs make mistakes that can lead to unintended and even catastrophic results.
Avoid Mistakes
The biggest delegation mistake CIOs make is poor communication, along with an associated lack of transparency, said Ari Lightman, professor of digital media and marketing at Carnegie Mellon University’s Heinz College.
Lightman recently interviewed more than 100 executives, including numerous CIOs. “We heard time and time again that trust and alignment were the issues associated with an effective and value-driven IT department,” he said. Yet it remains difficult to create trust and alignment when there isn’t clear, understandable communication, or ways to build authenticity based on transparency and honesty. “Poor communication leads to misalignment and stalled efforts, resulting in cost overruns, missed milestones, and growing frustration.”
CIOs should leverage their organizations’ strengths by clearly understanding the need and delegating tasks accordingly, said Mark Zimmerman, CIO at business services firm CoAdvantage. “Assign responsibilities based on each member’s expertise, ensuring that there are sufficient resources to support the project effectively.”
Zimmerman said it’s crucial to assign tasks to team members who possess the ability to handle the assignment and who have a proven track record of delivering great results. “If you can’t meet with them beforehand, make sure your request is clear and unambiguous,” he advised. Identify the necessary resources and tools required to complete the task or project, and clearly define the success criteria and how they will be measured. “Regular updates and check-ins are essential to ensure that the task is progressing toward successful completion,” he said.
Lightman explained that strategic task classification is essential to prevent misunderstandings. “I’ve worked with CIOs and IT professionals in understanding and assessing trust, building consensus and alignment, and how to communicate effectively,” he said. He added that it’s essential to ensure that everyone on the team — or at least a majority of team members — understands their roles and is on board with the task’s strategic direction, their responsibilities, and how the task will affect them and their jobs.
CIOs often assign tasks based on seniority, rather than on the basis of competence, said Yad Senapathy, CEO at the Project Management Training Institute. “They even presume that a title or tenure will qualify the person,” he said. Yet power isn’t equal to competence, so blind spots may emerge. “When the individual in charge protects their turf rather than addressing the issue at hand, projects come to a halt, resulting in delays and unjustified escalation.”
Senapathy said he believes that making diagnostic assessments is the best way to delegate specific tasks. “I align the assignment to the individual’s preparedness, their available bandwidth, and the individual’s objective clarity.” Delegation should never be considered a handoff, he added.
Delegate ownership of a specific metric or strategic goal, advised Renante Hayes, executive director of e-commerce advisory organization Creloaded. Set a specific objective. “Our goal is to increase customer conversion rates by 5% in the next six months — I want you to own this outcome,” she said. “You have the authority to research, test, and deploy the best technological solution to achieve it.”
Preventing Overdelegation
While intelligent delegation is essential, completely delegating critical tasks — such as cybersecurity — can be a very serious mistake, warned Rich Murr, CIO at business software company Epicor. “Even in organizations with very capable CISOs and cybersecurity teams, CIOs still have an important role in ensuring that cybersecurity risks are well-understood by the executive leadership team,” he said. “It’s up to the CIO to ensure that effective mitigation plans are funded, implemented, and sustained, and that the cybersecurity team continues to maintain the talent and technologies needed to combat ever-evolving threats.”
Don’t just delegate communication, Lightman advised. “Be an active contributor; continually engage and develop purpose-built coalitions, not hierarchies designed for control.”
Final Thought
“CIOs spend their careers identifying the individuals best suited for strategic and tactical roles to deliver complex solutions to our business units and clients,” Zimmerman said. “We strive to surround ourselves with team members who excel in executing the most challenging tasks. Successful teams, however, are built on effective hiring and partnering with companies that can assist with difficult projects and support growth.”
