Delegation: The Skill Every Practice Manager Needs (But Few Get to Practice)
If you’re a practice manager, chances are you’ve heard it a thousand times: “Just delegate more!” Sounds simple, right? But in the real world of veterinary hospitals, delegation is rarely that easy. In fact, according to the 2025 Practice Manager Report, it’s one of the top pain points for PMs across the country.
The Delegation Dilemma
The report found that 68% of practice managers say they spend the majority of their time managing support staff instead of hospital operations. That’s a huge chunk of time being pulled away from strategy, leadership, and long-term growth. The reason? Delegation just isn’t happening the way it should.
Managers report that they often take on too much themselves, either because they don’t trust others to do the task right or because they simply don’t have time to teach someone else how to do it.
One PM put it this way:
“Sometimes it’s just easier to do it myself, even if it means staying late.”
Sound familiar?
Why Delegation Fails
There are a few key reasons delegation doesn’t work in many hospitals:
- Lack of training: Support staff aren’t always given the tools or time to learn new responsibilities.
- No clear SOPs: Without written procedures, it’s hard to pass tasks along confidently.
- Fear of mistakes: When things are busy (and they always are), no one wants to take a chance on something going wrong.
These issues create a vicious cycle. The manager is overwhelmed, the staff feels underutilized, and burnout creeps in on both sides.
Delegation Is a Leadership Skill
The 2025 report emphasizes that delegation is not about dumping tasks. It is about empowering your team to grow. It gives others a chance to take ownership, while freeing up the manager to focus on the things only they can do—like setting goals, improving processes, and leading the team forward.
It also builds trust. When done well, delegation shows your team that you believe in them.
How to Delegate Without Losing Control
Here are three practical ways to get better at delegation:
- Start small: Pick one task that you do regularly and train someone else to handle it. Review it together weekly for the first month.
- Document the process: Create a simple checklist or how-to doc. This makes it easier for others to follow and for you to feel confident handing it off.
- Celebrate progress: When your team successfully takes something off your plate, call it out. Recognition encourages repeat behavior.
The Payoff
Practices that master delegation see stronger team morale, better efficiency, and healthier managers. And let’s be honest—most PMs could use a little breathing room.
You don’t have to carry it all. The best leaders know when to let go, and how to do it in a way that lifts everyone up.
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