Project Failure Files: Failing to Delegate

In Episode 66 of the Project Failure Files weekly webcast, our focus was “Grabbing All the Tasks For Yourself,” in which Sharon and I dig into a classic failure pattern: holding on to too many tasks. It feels faster in the moment and safer for quality, but it quietly creates bottlenecks. New managers are especially vulnerable because their identity and confidence still lean on the work they already do well. Without a plan to hand off work, you get the worst of both worlds: a stressed manager and a stagnant team.

As Sharon and I try to illustrate, it’s the culture that suffers next. When one person hoards tasks, others sit idle or underused, resentment builds, and knowledge concentrates in a single head. Attrition then turns into an outage. We argue for a healthier loop: define outcomes and accountability, give stretch assignments, and make it normal to say “this is blocked” without drama. That is how you create shared ownership and a real bench of future leaders.

Practically, start by inventorying tasks and matching them to people’s strengths. Use AI and simple tools to take the drudge work so humans can focus on higher-value steps. Delegate one meaningful task today, keep it delegated, and review results together. Celebrate what works, adjust what does not, and keep widening the circle of trust and capability.

Enjoy the episode!

Be sure to tune in next Monday, November 24th at 9am Pacific for a program update on our weekly series. Hope you can join us on our NEW  YouTube channel (please subscribe!), or find us on LinkedIn.