Why Aren’t I Better at Delegating? All leaders—from new managers to seasoned executives—must delegate tasks to free up time and attention for the big-picture work their more-senior roles demand. But too often leaders find themselves caught in the weeds of execution. This article helps leaders determine which work to keep and which is better left to a team member. Then it identifies four challenges that stop even those who know how to delegate from doing it successfully: (1) an addiction to the dopamine hit of easy productivity, (2) a disinclination to reject requests for help, (3) a desire to meet their own bosses’ or clients’ unmanaged expectations, and (4) a misunderstanding of what “work” should mean for a manager. Drawing on research and two decades of experience advising senior leaders, the author offers concrete recommendations for overcoming each challenge. Even for leaders with the best of intentions, overcoming these challenges will take time. However, if you stick with it and learn to delegate effectively, you’ll get much more out of your team members—and yourself, as a developer of talent and as a big-picture, strategic thinker.

Delegation is easy to preach, hard to practice. Too many of us keep doing the work instead of leading. HBR’s latest article + podcast nailed why — and how to fix it. 🧵👇

#PublicSector #Leadership #Delegation #GovOps #PolicyDelivery #SundayLongRead

Your Sunday long read: In public projects, speed and rigour often seem like opposites. They don’t have to be.
A new paper by Bent Flyvbjerg shows how “fast-and-frugal” heuristics can make better, quicker decisions in complex programmes.
🧵👇

#SundayLongRead #PublicSector #ProjectManagement

Our truth is not enough: the challenge for technocrats Progressives and technocrats believe that evidence is enough to win arguments. But there are other, darker, ‘truths’ Progressives evidence faces other, ‘truths’

Facts alone won’t win the political argument. In a world of uncertainty and fear, people crave certainty — even if it's based on ‘alternative facts.’

@stephenmcnair.bsky.social #SundayLongRead #Politics #TruthSocial #Vision

Our truth is not enough: the challenge for technocrats Progressives and technocrats believe that evidence is enough to win arguments. But there are other, darker, ‘truths’ Progressives evidence faces other, ‘truths’

After 2008, the system failed, and now we’re left with a crisis of truth.

The technocratic approach isn’t enough. It’s time to offer a vision that speaks to the people writes @stephenmcnair.bsky.social

#SundayLongRead #Technocracy #Populism #PoliticalVision

Our truth is not enough: the challenge for technocrats Progressives and technocrats believe that evidence is enough to win arguments. But there are other, darker, ‘truths’ Progressives evidence faces other, ‘truths’

After 2008, the system failed, and now we’re left with a crisis of truth.

The technocratic approach isn’t enough. It’s time to offer a vision that speaks to the people.

Stephen McNair's #SundayLongRead #Technocracy #Populism

Our truth is not enough: the challenge for technocrats Progressives and technocrats believe that evidence is enough to win arguments. But there are other, darker, ‘truths’ Progressives evidence faces other, ‘truths’

The rise of 'alternative facts' isn’t just a political tactic — it’s a challenge to our understanding of truth itself.

Progressives need more than evidence; they need a bold vision for the future.

Stephen McNair's #SundayLongRead of #Truth #Vision #Politics

The perennial challenge of permanent exclusion Permanent exclusion is on the rise. Is it being used with good reason and to good effect, or is it an ineffective sticking plaster?

Pupil Referral Units don’t offer a full curriculum. Children return to mainstream school at an academic disadvantage – if they return at all.

Kate Grant's #SundayLongRead asks if exclusion is really discipline, or just a fast track to long-term failure.

The perennial challenge of permanent exclusion Permanent exclusion is on the rise. Is it being used with good reason and to good effect, or is it an ineffective sticking plaster?

A struggling child is excluded, sent miles away to a Pupil Referral Unit, and placed among other struggling peers.

Reintegration is rare.

The system isn’t fixing the problem – it’s isolating it.

Change is overdue.

Kate Grant's #SundayLongRead

A healthier future: are we coping with an ageing world ? The Chief Medical Officer's report highlights the challenges we face in preparing for a healthier ageing society.

East Anglia is one of the fastest-ageing UK regions. In North Norfolk, the oldest district in England, a third of the population is over 65. How well are we preparing for an #ageing society?

-- Stephen McNair investigates

#SundayLongRead