When to Delegate, When to Collaborate

Most business processes require COLLABORATION (shared activities) and DELEGATION (solo activities). Sometimes you really just want to GIVE work to others and not worry about it and other times you want to SHARE work with others. There are times for each modality. Some people use one too much.

On my new job I am way more in the COLLABORATE mode since I am still learning and want to build relationships with my peers.

Here's how I like to work:

1. COLLABORATE
   
   1. Find the work and understand from the customer what it is, what its success is
      
   2. Share the work and needs with your technical collaborators and figure out what needs to happen for this thing to be successful
      
   3. Determine everyone's roles in the production of this product? What will be shared, what will be solo?
      
2. DELEGATE
   
   1. Do the work and finish the work
      
3. COLLABORATE
   
   1. Determined what you learned and repeat
      

Lots of collaboration. The delegation only gets done after everything is defined and clear, and then you send people out on their mission; very little ambiguity is left. I like it this way and I think this builds better teams and products.