The real reason your delegation isn’t working (and it’s not your team)

Raise your hand if you’ve ever delegated something… only to end up redoing it later.

You gave your team a clear task. Maybe even recorded a Loom. And handed it off with optimism.

Then a few days later it comes back incomplete, misaligned, or just not how you envisioned.

So you sigh, fix it yourself, and whisper, “It’s faster if I just do it.”

This is a cycle that not only frustrates you, but so many service providers.

So often so that they jump to one painful conclusion:

“Maybe I hired the wrong person.”

But I want to offer a different perspective that removes the blame and replaces it with possibility.

It’s not your team. It’s your system.

Let’s unpack why your delegation feels broken and what it really takes to fix it.

When Delegation Feels Like More Work, Not Less

You started hiring to lighten your workload, right?

So why does it actually feel heavier?

Delegation often backfires because what we’re handing off isn’t just a task — it’s a whole web of assumptions, preferences, and context that live only in our heads.

Your team might be asking:

• What does “good” look like?
• What’s the preferred format?
• How do I know when this is actually done?

And without clear guidance, they guess. And if they guess wrong… you fix it.

This creates an endless loop: You delegate → It’s not quite right → You redo it → You trust less → You delegate less → You burn out more.

Not fun. Not sustainable.

Why It’s Not a People Problem

Let’s flip the script.

If you’re constantly cleaning up after delegating, it may not necessarily be that your team can’t handle the work. They just don’t have the clarity they need to succeed.

Clarity doesn’t just mean “write this blog post” or “send this invoice.”

It means:

• What exactly is expected?
• What does success or finished look like?
• Who reviews it?
• When is it due?
• What’s the tone, format, or process?

Most service providers skip this step — not because they’re lazy, but because they’re busy.

They assume it’s common sense… or they don’t realize how much context they carry without realizing it.

So when something goes off track, it feels like a people problem.

But it’s not. It’s a structure problem.

Delegation Without Systems = Micromanagement

Here’s the uncomfortable truth: When you don’t have delegation systems in place, you become the system.

You:

• Answer the questions
• Review the drafts
• Approve the revisions
• Do the final quality check

Sounds really familiar, right?

Even if you have a team, the business is still running through you. Which means you’re still working full-time as the glue.

And eventually, resentment builds as you wonder: “Why can’t they just do it the way I want it done?”

But how would they know… if you never documented it?

Delegation only works when the system holds the clarity — not you.

What Makes Delegation Actually Work

So if the issue isn’t your team, and the solution isn’t “just do it yourself,” what is the real fix?

Here’s what I teach and implement for my clients when we work together:

STEP 1: Define the Outcome

Don’t just assign a task — define success.

Think of delegation like setting coordinates in a GPS. If you simply say “Go north,” your team might head toward the mountains when you were picturing a beach.

So instead of saying “create a slide deck,” say:

“Create 8 slides summarizing our Q1 goals, using last quarter’s format, aligned with our current brand tone. This will be presented to our mastermind group on Friday, so please have a draft to me by Wednesday.”

Now your team knows the what, why, when, and even the how.

This level of specificity is generous, not controlling. It empowers your team to deliver confidently without needing you to constantly fill in the blanks.

STEP 2: Set the Format

Templates are your secret weapon.

If you prefer bullet points over full paragraphs, share that. Or, if you always want Loom links attached to content drafts, say so.

Better yet, give them examples.

Share what a “great” version of the task looks like. Let them see the standard, not just hear about it.

This removes the guesswork. And fewer assumptions = fewer do-overs.

Don’t overcomplicate it. You don’t need a 10-page doc. Sometimes, just a quick “This is what good looks like” goes a long way.

STEP 3: Assign Ownership, Not Tasks

Here’s a big shift: Stop assigning to-do’s. Start assigning outcomes.

When someone owns a result, not just the steps, they think differently.

They problem-solve.
They follow through.
They come back with “Here’s what I came up with,” instead of “What should I do next?”

Example:

• Task delegation: “Can you upload the podcast episode?”
• Outcome ownership: “You own podcast publishing. That means uploading the episode, writing show notes, choosing a title, and scheduling it by Thursday.”

Ownership builds accountability, and it reduces the invisible labor of managing every detail.

STEP 4: Build Feedback Loops

Most delegation problems aren’t task problems. They’re feedback problems.

Instead of waiting until something’s off to give feedback, build it into your weekly rhythm.

Try a 10-minute weekly check-in with your team:

• What’s working?
• What feels unclear?
• What do you need from me?

This normalizes feedback and keeps things light, clear, and forward-moving.

You’re not being a “bad boss” by giving notes. You’re a leader making clarity a shared value.

STEP 5: Systematize It

Here’s the golden rule:

If you’re going to do it more than once, it needs a system.

A simple SOP (standard operating procedure) is your future self’s best friend.

Don’t wait until you’re overwhelmed.

After something’s done well, document the steps:

• What tools were used?
• What template worked?
• What tripped us up?

This doesn’t have to be fancy. A 5-minute checklist or screen recording can save hours of misalignment down the line.

When your business runs on systems instead of memory, delegation becomes repeatable AND scalable.

When you build this kind of clarity into your delegation process, you create space.

Space to trust. Space to lead. Space to think like a CEO again.

And that’s when leadership starts to feel light again.

How This Comes Together in The Aligned Team Model

Inside The Aligned Team Model, we don’t just talk about delegation — we fix it from the ground up.

Together, we:

• Audit your current delegation habits (aka where it’s quietly breaking)
• Clarify who owns what AND what ownership actually means
• Build a customized delegation system that removes friction
• Create role-specific outcomes, workflows, and onboarding processes

So delegation becomes a system, not a source of stress.

You finally get:

• Consistent results
• Fewer questions
• More trust
• Time back to focus on your highest-value work

Because you didn’t hire a team to babysit.

You hired them to help your business grow. Let’s make sure they can.

Ready to Delegate Without the Drain?

You’re not behind. You’re not doing it wrong. You just need systems that make delegation actually work.

Inside The Aligned Team Model, we implement those systems together — side-by-side.

So your team can run with clarity.

And you can lead without over-functioning.

If you’re ready to transform your team from a source of stress into a true support system, schedule a Systems Starter Session below and let’s chat.

Your next level isn’t more hustle. It’s smarter support.

Remember, growth isn’t about hiring five more people. It’s about building the systems that allow your current team to operate with clarity, autonomy, and consistency.

You don’t need a bigger team. You need a better foundation.

You built this business. Now let’s build the structure it needs to run.

I’m ready when you are.

— Leeann