“The secret of success is not in doing your own work but in recognizing the right [person] to do it.” ~Andrew Carnegie
Delegation is the assignment of responsibility to another person for the purpose of carrying out specific job-related activities. Delegation is a shift of decision-making authority from one organizational level to another. It is a helpful tool for managers but not easy to do. So let’s look at some of the benefits for all involved, why we don’t do it and how to go about it.. For managers there is:
- Reduced stress
- Improved time management
- Increased trust
The employee benefits as well as long as the delegated task is meaningful and a learning opportunity for them. They gain:
- Professional
knowledge and skill development
- Elevated self-esteem and confidence
- Sense of achievement
Even the organization benefits. Among many things there is
- Increased
teamwork
- Increased productivity and efficiency
So why don’t managers delegate more often? Some of the responses heard include that:
- …it’s too hard!
- …it takes too much time!
- …nobody can do it as good as I can
- …nobody else has any time either……
At first it may take more time to delegate but over time it will give a manager more time to focus on other things.
One model for good delegation involves the following steps:
- I – Introduce the task
- D- Demonstrate clearly what needs to be done
- E – Ensure understanding
- A – Allocate authority, information and resources
- L – Let go
- S – Support and Monitor
How can you delegate more effectively? Share your stories!