In a fast paced work environment it can often times be easier to take care of an issue or unrelated task rather than rely on others. I've found that I take on such tasks myself for one of two reasons: I'm either worried that it won't be done as well as I think I would do it, or training someone else to fix it would take much longer than if I did it myself.
Get Over Yourself!
The belief that you're the only one who can do something the right way is the first step in developing contempt for your coworkers and team. The first step towards showing a co-worker that you trust them is to give them an added responsibility or duty. The next item you delegate may be the next time you discover that one of your team is much better at that type of task than you.
Keep the Main Thing the Main Thing
By inundating ourselves in minutiae we lose sight of the primary projects and goals we are constantly working towards. By shifting focus to do an unrelated item, we may "save" the time it would take to train someone, but we mortgage our future deadlines in exchange.
Give Yourself Confidence
There are lots of managers that are scared to take a day off (let alone a vacation) because they are afraid of what will happen in their absence. Most of these concerns center around their fears that the team will be unproductive or that a problem will arise that only they can handle. By delegating issues regularly on days when you are in the office, you'll give yourself more confidence and piece of mind on the days you aren't.
Start Small
If the concept of delegation scares you, start with a smaller and frequently occurring item, like running a report. As you develop more comfort with delegation, gradually increase the size and complexity of the task.
Check In
Follow up with the team member you delegated to. Ask for feedback and de-construct how they did it, offering feedback when needed. Avoid being critical or commenting on how you would do it, and let them find their own ways to get the item done.
While those are just a few tips on delegation for beginners, it's important for managers to recognize that the avoidance of delegation can cause major projects to fall by the wayside and can have a disastrous impact on employee engagement. By becoming more comfortable with delegation, managers can give more attention to goals and give greater empowerment to their teams to grow and succeed.