Delegation - A Necessary Evil
By: Teresa Comey, principal of Influencing Leadership
"Delegation is a necessary evil" one ACETECH Growth Strategy participant stated at a recent session. When I led the group through an activity to determine their attitude and experiences with delegation I learned that their fears around delegation are typical of the reasons why people fail to delegate. They group cited the following concerns:
- Lack of time, they could do the work themselves in the time it took to explain it to someone else
- Perfectionism, there is no guarantee that the other person would do it as well as they could
- Fear of surrendering their authority
- Lack of confidence or trust in the ability of the staff to deliver what they needed
How could they hold someone else accountable for the work and by what matrix could they measure the results?
In spite of these concerns, the group agreed that if they wanted to grow their business, they had to delegate some of the work or they would prevent the progress they so desired. They also agreed that sharing the work allows for growth and development of key people, and that would lead to higher levels of job satisfaction. Further discussion led to the realization that they might not have all the answers and that delegation actually could lead to better decision making because people closer to the issue would have input on decisions.
Effective delegation involves assigning work and the authority and responsibility for the work. If done properly it will become one of your most effective management tools. However it is not simple. It is not abdication or dumping, it is an active process which requires mutual trust and clear two-way communication. A good delegation process inherently provides the matrix by which you can measure successful performance.
Delegation Process
Define the task to be delegated. Clearly identify the goal of the task and the benefits of delegating it to both you and the delegate.
Select the right person to delegate to. Do their skills and abilities match the task? Is training required?
Outline the tasks and the reasons for the task. Assign the responsibility to the delegate, clearly communicating all the requirements for the task and asking for feedback to ensure understanding.
Consider resources and appropriate power needed to complete the task. Identify who else needs to be informed and determine the limitations to the delegate authority.
Agree to a deadline and establish accountability. What are the deliverables and deadlines? What are the rewards and consequences? What are the standards for completion?
Support the delegate and communicate how much you will be involved in the process, and why.
Provide feedback. Give rewards and credit for jobs completed successfully and constructive feedback for insufficient work.
In today's dynamic business environment, effective leaders and good managers use delegation to increase employee participation, creativity and motivation in order to keep their organizations viable and effective. By understanding the benefits and process of delegation, you will increase job satisfaction of your people, while effectively achieving your organizational goals.
Teresa Comey, M.A. is the principal of Influencing Leadership, facilitating organizational and leadership development. Teresa is also part-time faculty in the UBC Project Management Program. Learn more about Teresa and her work by visiting www.influencingleadership.ca