The Art of Delegation Part 1 - [website] Published: 22nd of Jul 2011 by: Smart Alec
One of the greatest skills a manager will ever acquire is that of delegation.
In fact, it may be the single most important skill s/he will ever make use of.
To learn how to delegate properly, however, one needs to first understand exactly what delegation means, why it is necessary, how one delegates and to whom.
Managers often have to deal with several different tasks at once, leading her/him to a point where s/he no longer feels capable, is too stressed or has too little time to complete all the work that needs doing.
This is where delegation comes in (which is not to be confused with task assignments, which is simply the assigning of particular tasks to individuals or teams as opposed to sharing the work with subordinates). Delegation enables the manager to empower someone else with the authority to see that a task is carried out properly, making that individual partially accountable for the results.
The problem with empowering subordinates is knowing who would be best suited to the task at hand – being able to identify the right individuals is part of what makes a good manager. At the same time it needs to be realised that delegating is not the same as “dumping,” and neither does it equal abdication; at the end of the day the onus and responsibility of time and quality still ultimately lies with the manager.
For this reason being able to choose the right person for the job is crucial to the success of the project, and this is why many companies place emphasis on mastering the art of delegation.
When delegating, managers should be asking questions like “Who would best deal with the responsibility of this task?” “Who will make best use of the authority it will give them?” and “Who possesses the best skills for the task?”
Managers should avoid always picking the same people, even if they are known to be the most dependable, and the process of choosing whom to delegate to should always be done as objectively as possible.
Once the delegatee has been selected communication between her/him and the manager should always remain at a high level, and the manager should solicit questions, suggestions and comments regularly. It is also the manager’s job to ensure that the delegatee is 100 percent certain of what their job is, the responsibilities it entails and the authority it brings.
Although communication with the delegatee is essential, managers should not hover around and peek over shoulders; delegating means passing the work on and letting go not watching it progress from afar.
If done right, delegation can make the life of a manager far easier, reduce stress, help develop staff, promote teamwork and increase productivity and efficiency, whereas on the other hand poor delegation or no delegation at all can result in the eventual downfall of managers and supervisors.
There are various barriers to delegation as well as pitfalls that may be encountered on the way; these, along with how one delegates in the correct manner, will be covered in upcoming posts.
