Kiwi Are Bosses Poor At Delegating, Hindering Growth

Kiwi SME bosses often struggle with delegation due to a combination of factors, including our local "do-it-yourself" mentality, lack of management training, and a tendency to be so ‘hands-on’ they put limited trust in their teams.

“Delegation is about more than just handing over tasks,” says Gaelene Adams Love, managing director and business relationship coach at Team Fusion International. The company works with business leaders, managers, and their teams to improve productivity and profitability through business strategy and leadership development strategies for business growth.

“It’s about having the infrastructure in place within your business to trust your people so that everyone feels valued, empowered, engaged and rewarded at work for achieving goals that are aligned to the business strategy.

“This includes clear business strategy and an inspiring, empowering and engaging culture as well as having clear roles, targets, accountability, and the resources to succeed. We call this Better Business Together and it results in people feeling more confident, certain and happier, both at work and at home. Without that, you’re setting your business and your team up for failure.”

A reluctance to delegate

Many Kiwi SME owners fail to delegate effectively because they don’t trust the people on their team. They are too accustomed to doing everything themselves, “because it’s faster”.

“It’s the ‘do-it-yourself’ mindset that holds so many business owners back,” says Adams Love. “They think, ‘If I don’t do it myself, it won’t get done properly.’ But that way of thinking burns you out and undermines your leadership ability and the team’s ability to grow and deliver.”

The Management Matters in New Zealand report highlights that poor people management is a significant issue in many SMEs. It points to gaps in leadership capability, particularly in areas like defining roles and empowering employees.

Adams Love says that this is a common challenge: “People aren’t mind-readers. If you don’t define roles and communicate expectations clearly, you’ll always feel like you can’t trust them—and they’ll feel like they can’t succeed.” (World Management Survey)

The trust deficit

Trust is at the heart of effective delegation, but Adams Love says it’s often missing in SMEs.

“Leaders don’t trust their own ability to lead their teams because they haven’t set themselves or their team up to succeed. No business strategy, or a business plan that is in their head, coupled with poor hiring, no onboarding, no training—it’s no wonder they feel like they can’t delegate,” she says. “But that’s not a people problem, it’s a leadership problem.”

Further research from AskYourTeam supports this, highlighting leadership blind spots in SMEs, including a lack of self-awareness and systems for accountability.

Adams Love stresses that accountability is key: “Delegation isn’t about throwing tasks at people and hoping for the best. It’s about setting expectations, providing resources, and following up. When you do that, you’ll start to trust your own ability to lead as well as your team because they’ll have the infrastructure in place to deliver.” (AskYourTeam)

How to improve delegation

Adams Love recommends three key steps for Kiwi SME leaders to delegate more effectively:

Create a three year Business Strategy: “This needs to look at least three years out” says Adams Love. “Write it down, communicate it, and your business goals will link into it.” 

Create a tactical 12-month Business Plan: This covers your quarterly business goals for the operational activities of your business for the first 12 months of your Business Strategy”, she says.

Set and measure KPI’s: “Delegation without follow-up is abdication,” Adams Love says. “Set clear metrics (KPI’s), check in regularly, and give feedback and support. Link the KPI’s back to your business goals so each team member understands the importance of the contribution they are making to the success of the business. It’s how you build trust and improve performance.”

Create accountability systems: “Delegation without follow-up is abdication,” Adams Love warns. “Set clear metrics (KPI’s), check in regularly, and give feedback and support. It’s how you build trust and improve performance.”

A leadership wake-up call

Adams Love’s experience working with teams and leaders at the coalface of New Zealand small business, along with research from the Management Matters report and AskYourTeam highlights gaps in leadership and people management that need urgent attention.

“If you’re not delegating, you’re failing your people—and your business. Leadership is about enabling others to succeed, not doing everything yourself. In order to delegate effectively, you need to have written plans.

“Delegation isn’t a weakness,” says Adams Love. “It’s the strongest move you can make as a leader.”

ABOUT

Team Fusion, under the leadership of Gaelene Adams Love, specialises in providing coaching and business advisory services to couples running small to medium enterprises (SMEs) in New Zealand.

With a unique niche in resolving the challenges faced by couples in business together, Team Fusion offers a holistic approach to business, relationship and life, ensuring that healthy relationships are the foundation of a healthy business. Their services are backed by proven support, expertise, experience, and tools, making them a unique service provider in the business industry.

Gaelene Adams Love, as the Managing Director and a Business Relationship Coach, brings her extensive experience and passion for empowering couples to succeed both in business and in their personal lives. Team Fusion's commitment to their clients is encapsulated in their motto: "Better Business Together."

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