How To Delegate Effectively

http://www.dirjournal.com/guides/how-to-delegate-effectively/
The secret of success is not in doing your own work, but in recognizing the right person to
do it.
One of the most crucial and challenging tasks for managers and supervisors is to apportion the
work among the employees they manage and supervise. A lot of managers and supervisors
frequently complain that they have too much to do and too little time in which to do it.
Unchecked, this feeling leads to stress and ineffectiveness. In many cases, executives could
greatly reduce their stress by practicing a critical management skill delegation.
Delegation is the assignment of authority to another person to carry out the specific job-related
activities. It allows a subordinate to make decisions; that is, it is a shift of decision-making
authority from one organizational level to another lower one.
Delegation should not be confused with participation. In participative decision making, there is a
sharing of authority; with delegation, subordinates make decisions on their own. Effective
delegation pushes authority down vertically through the ranks of an organization.
Mastering the art of delegation makes you a professional manager; it is an effective means of
developing your employees, and a key to the organizational prosperity.
The inability to delegate has led to the downfall of many executives from the top-notch
managers to the first-line supervisors. Successful businesses, regardless of size, encourage not
only their managers and supervisors but also others to master the art of delegation. Historically,
delegation has been a vertical process, with managers delegating to subordinates in a clearly
defined hierarchical structure. Todays successful businesses are emphasizing both horizontal and
vertical delegation. With the growing emphasis on teamwork, the ability to influence and
delegate to others over whom you have no direct control is critical to the teams success.
Whether delegating vertically or horizontally, delegation must be accompanied by effective
coaching. Delegation will not be effective unless managers and other designated supervisors and
coaches work with employees to help them develop the skills needed to get the job done.
Effective delegation also requires good communication and a high degree of trust between the
delegator and the delegatee.
Delegation is not task assignment. Task assignment is simply assigning work to an individual
within the duties and responsibilities of his position. Delegation, on the other hand, involves the
manager giving someone the responsibility and authority to do something that is normally part of
the managers job.

Delegation is not dumping. Managers should take special care to make sure that the employee
does not think he is trying to dump unpleasant assignments on him. If delegation is not done
properly, employees feel put upon and resent what they perceive as Ive to follow the bosss
order .
Delegation is not abdication. The manager still has the ultimate accountability for the
assignment. Thats why it is important for you to establish appropriate controls and checkpoints
to monitor progress. Besides, managers should give delegatees the appropriate authority to act
along with clear expectations including any boundaries or criteria. The manager, however, should
try to avoid prescribing HOW the assignment should be completed.
Delegation involves three important concepts and practices: responsibility, authority, and
accountability. When you delegate, you share responsibility and authority with others and you
hold them accountable for their performance. The ultimate accountability, however, still lies with
the manager who should clearly understand that :
- Responsibility refers to the assignment itself and the intended results. That means setting clear
expectations. It also means that you should avoid prescribing the employee HOW the assignment
should be completed.
- Authority refers to the appropriate power given to the individual or group including the right to
act and make decisions. It is very important to communicate boundaries and criteria such as
budgetary considerations.
- Accountability refers to the fact that the relevant individual must answer for his/her/their
actions and decisions along with the rewards or penalties that accompany those actions or
decisions.
Benefits of Delegation
Benefits to the Manager / Supervisor
Makes your job easy and exciting
Reduces stress and makes you look good.
Frees you to do what you should be doing
Develops trust and rapport with your employees
Grooms your successor so that you can move on to bigger and better things. Often managers
and supervisors derail their own advancement by not having someone to take their place
Benefits to the employee

 Provides professional growth opportunities

Develops their professional knowledge and skills
Elevates their self-image and ultimately self-esteem
Enhances their confidence and value to the organization
Brings them personal satisfaction and a sense of achievement
Gives them opportunities to be involved with decision making which in turn leads to more
commitment and increased morale

Benefits for the organization

Saves money
Promotes teamwork
Brings about professionalism
Increases productivity and efficiency

How Well Do You Delegate?

Here is an opportunity to learn how well you delegate. This exercise will help identify your
strengths and determine where improvement would be beneficial. Circle the number that best
describes you and then total the numbers and rate your skills and standing :
The higher the number, the more the statement
1. Each of my subordinates know what I expect of him 5 4 3 2 1
2. I involve employees in goal setting, problem solving and productivity-improvement activities
54321
3. I place my personal emphasis on planning, organising, motivating and controlling rather than
on doing tasks others could do 5 4 3 2 1
4. When assigning tasks, I select the assignee thoughtfully 5 4 3 2 1
5. When a problem occurs on a project I have delegated, I give the employee a reasonable chance
to work it out for himself 5 4 3 2 1
6. When I delegate work to employees, I brief them fully on the details of the assignment 5 4 3 2
1
7. I see delegation as one way to help employees develop their knowledge, skills and expertise 5
4321
8. When I delegate a project, I make sure that everyone involved knows who is in charge 5 4 3 2
1
9. When delegating a task, I balance authority with need and experience 5 4 3 2 1
10. I hold my employees responsible for results 5 4 3 2 1
A score between 41 and 50 suggests you are on target. A score between 31 and 40 indicates you
are just getting by but could improve. Anything below 40 means you immediately need to make
changes in your delegation skills.

Barriers to Delegation
Exhaustive research proves that the biggest barrier to delegation is you, the manager. When
managers are asked why they dont delegate more, they often give the following excuses :
It takes too long to explain
My employees resist responsibility
It is easier and quicker to do thing myself
My employees lack experience and competence
If you want it done right, you better do it yourself
No one on my staff is quite capable of doing the work
My employees wont like me if I expect too much of them
I can do the work in my department better than anyone else
My people are already overworked. I cant overload anything on them
Although managers / supervisors offer the above excuses, the real reasons may be
discovered in the following list:
What if the other person messes up the task; I am still accountable.
If someone else can do my job, maybe I wont be needed anymore.
I am the manager; I am supposed to have full control over everything.
Im comfortable doing the job Ive been doing for a long time. If I give that up, then I have to
concentrate on the responsibilities of my new job which I am not comfortable with.
Be honest with yourself. What are the REAL reasons you dont delegate as much as you should ?
Sometimes employees resist or fail to accept responsibility for some of the following reasons:
They may feel that the task is being imposed on them
They may not have the skills, knowledge or ability to do the job
They received no reward or recognition in the past for a job well done.
They may fear criticism from the manager if they dont do things exactly as he expects.
Study this list, and think of some other reasons. Then ask yourself if you have in any way
contributed to employee resistance.
Symptoms of Poor Delegation

There are many symptoms of poor delegation, and can be seen in the working habits of the
manager, the attitude of the employees, or the overall productivity of the organisation. Check
from the following list the symptoms that are visible in your department / organisation :
Deadlines are frequently missed
Some employees are much busier than others
Competent employees feel frustrated and bored
Manager is usually too busy to talk to employees
Employees are assigned the tasks with proper training
Employees are unsure of their authority and responsibility
Employees suggestions are often neglected and overlooked
Employees frequently request transfers to other departments
Manager never has time to visit the employees work stations
Changes in plans and objectives are not passed on to employees
Communication flow is very slow, incomplete and often too late
The department/organaisation is plagued by slow decision making
Manager sometimes intervenes in the task without informing subordinates
Manager insists that all incoming/outgoing mail must first pass through him
Manager does not meet the deadline; often takes the office work to his home and sometimes
delays / postpones his vacation because of the work load
If you have checked one or two of the above statements, you should look very carefully at your
delegation practices and emphatically ask yourself why these conditions exist in your
department / organisation.

What and to Whom to Delegate

1. The very first step in delegating the task is to identify what should and should not be
delegated.
Do delegate
Making day-to-day minor decisions.
Minor staffing problems such as scheduling, shift change etc.
Anything your employees are expected to do when you are not there.
Jobs that can develop employees in other areas for potential promotion
Answering routine questions. Make the employees think for themselves
Routine clerical duties ( e.g.; filing, counting, sorting, routine reports ).
Dont delegate
Morale and off-job problems.
A job no one else in the department is qualified to do.
Personnel issue such as hiring, firing, or disciplinary matters.
Assignments from your boss that he expects you to do personally.
An emergency or short-term task where there is not time to explain.
2. The next step is to select the appropriate delegatee. Think about the delegatees personality as
well as his skills. This is an important consideration when presenting the assignment to the
chosen person. Some people may want and need a great deal of detail and explanation; others
respond better to a simple statement of expectations and guidelines, then want to be left alone.
The Delegation Process
1. Determine what you are going to delegate. Then take the time to plan how you are going to
present the assignment, including your requirements, parameters, authority level, checkpoints
and expectations. It is a good idea to write down these items and give a copy to your delegatee in
order to minimize miscommunication.
2. Choose the right person. Assess the skills and the experience of your employees as objectively
as possible. Dont be too quick to choose the person who you always know you can depend on.
3. Give an overview of the assignment including the importance of the assignment and why you
have chosen the employee for the job.
4. Describe the new responsibility in detail, outlining sub-tasks, defining any necessary
parameters, and setting performance standards. Make sure the employee understands his/her
level or degree of authority. Let the employee know who he/she can turn to for help as well as

other available resources. By the way, make sure that you notify those affected by the delegatees
power.
5. Solicit questions, reactions, and suggestions. At this point you may want to ask the employee
what approach he/she might take.
6. Listen to the employees comments and respond empathetically. This step helps to get
employee buy-in and will also help you determine if the employee does indeed understand
what is expected of him/her.
7. Ask the employee for commitment and offer help or some type of back-up assistance. An
employee who already feels overwhelmed may worry about completing the assignments already
on his/her plate. It is your responsibility to help establish priorities and relieve some of the
pressure by getting someone else to share some of the delegatees routine tasks for the duration of
the assignment.
8. Be encouraging. Express confidence in the employees ability to successfully handle the new
responsibility.
9. Establish checkpoints, deadlines, and ways to monitor progress. The entire discussion should
be a collaborative process. You should strive for mutual agreement.
10. Keep in contact with the employee and observe the checkpoints the two of you agreed to.
However, dont hover. Remember, delegating means letting go.
11. Recognize and reward the person for his/her successful completion of the assignment.
Avoid Pitfalls
1. Reverse or upward delegation. Sometimes employees feel they dont know how to do what
they were delegated. In this situation, you may find them coming back and asking you what to
do. Many managers fall into the trap by taking the assignment back. To avoid this situation,
called the reverse delegation, make the employee think and solve the problem for himself.
This is the perfect opportunity to practice coaching skills. Begin by asking the employee various
open-ended questions to find out what has already been done and what the person thinks should
be the next step. Offer help and support, but dont take back an assignment that you have
delegated to someone else.
2. Dumping. You may think you are doing an excellent job by delegating an assignment to one
of your employees and may wonder why the individual is not excited about the opportunity. The
only reason in this case is most probably the poor communication. It is easy to assume that the

employee knows and understands your motivation, but often the employee perceives that he is
being dumped on, that is, taken advantage of. To prevent this from happening, take special care
to explain the benefit to the employee. Remember to point out the WIIFT Whats In It For
Them.
3. Grabbing the glory. Some managers seem to overlook the importance of giving credit where
credit is due, and take credit for the delegatees hard work. Make sure that you give the
appropriate recognition and then quietly appreciate yourself for being a great delegator.