As a manager, do you let your employees assume more responsibility when they are able to? Do you know when to delegate such responsibility? Do you understand when employees are capable of accepting additional duties? Do you understand the difference between delegating to and empowering employees?

Managers often have challenges around delegating responsibility. These include:

1. A perceived lack of time for the manager to explain and hand over the delegated task
2. The manager believes that they are better doing the job themselves
3. Insufficient trust in the employee
4. Worries as to whether or not the employee will do it as well as the manager
5. At some level, the manager may fear for their position should the employee excel. 

Encouraging staff to assume more responsibility is a process and requires preparation. Managers need to appreciate the barriers to assuming responsibility, the impact of employee skill and will, and how to delegate to and empower individuals to succeed. The work environment must also support employees to take on more responsibility, as a blame culture will only dampen motivation.