How Delegating Can Generate Empowerment and Cultivate Leadership

Coaches can’t do it all on their own. Delegation can be our best friend.

Coaches can’t do everything on their own, especially in sports with smaller staffs. Your athletes can be one of the most valuable resources when you feel like you are stretched too thin. Also, by delegating out to your athletes, you’re cultivating an environment where athletes can learn how to lead each other, how to delegate tasks out themselves, and how to work in a setting more akin to their first job out of college than their time in the classroom.

The first question to ask yourself when you have a task you’d like to delegate out is, “am I the best person for this job?” You want the person doing the task to be the most effective and efficient and if that task is not one of your primary job responsibilities, then look elsewhere (Phillips, 1994). Obviously, there are tasks you must do as a coach, but maybe you’re trying to plan a team building activity and you’re not sure what your athletes would like to do or when would be the most convenient or impactful. Either delegate this job out to a leader on the team or to someone you’d like to cultivate as a leader. Be sure to provide them with the goal of the task, the possible steps for completing the task, any deadlines associated with the task, and any resources and tools they need to do the task. Then step away and allow them to do the work.

It can be tricky for a coach or boss to walk away from a delegated task without trying to control the situation. Instead of throwing your athletes into the deep end and hoping they swim, be sure to set up structured check-in points where there is an expectation to be at a certain point in the task by a certain time and the short check-in can be used for any progress reports, questions, and concerns. Although not every delegated task is lengthy enough to establish check-in points, it’s crucial for the more in-depth projects or responsibilities that you’re keeping your athletes accountable. This will not only create trust between them and their teammates but will also prepare and empower them for the realities of the working world.

What projects or tasks are you holding that you’d delegate out to your athletes?

References

Phillips, R. (1994). Coaching for higher performance. Management Development Review.