One dictionary definition of Delegation is: 'empowering another to act'.

Another dictionary defines Delegation as: 'appointing someone else to act on your behalf'.

Delegation isn't just about taking action. I hope the dictionary writers really mean empowering another to think and act...and do the two in that order: 

• If they don't mean thinking and acting - no wonder so many people have so much trouble with delegation. 
• If they do mean thinking and acting then they ought to say it clearly so dictionary readers have a better opportunity to understand delegation.

Let's set the dictionaries aside - when you boil it down what do you think delegation is about?

Do you think the words 'empowering people' covers the whole story?

Do you think 'empowering people' captures the concept of delegation?

Certainly, that seems to be a common way of looking at delegation.

Maybe that's why so many people have so much trouble with delegation.

What do I mean by 'trouble with delegation'?

Here's what I mean. The trouble with delegation: in the history of business, never have so many owed so much to so few...under so much confusion. 

Yes, 'empowering' is a component of delegation, but, delegation has another major component: 'expecting'.

Expectation is embedded in delegation. In business, when we empower a person to [think and] take action we blend that empowering with things like paycheques and role descriptions. When we do that blending the delegation automatically takes on a flavour of expectation. Those who delegate expect results...most of them expect only positive results. Delegators expect the work they delegate to get done...and, the majority of them want the work to be performed well.

Expectation: that's the thing dictionaries are missing when they define the word 'Delegation'.

Let's not make that same mistake.