Great Delegation For Great Managers
The Delegation process
So many managers delegate for all the wrong reasons and by the wrong means. It is unfair to you, the business and person who you have delegated to not to follow a process of “great” delegation.
The term delegation is often used incorrectly or misunderstood. It is often though that a manager who delegates is just too idle to the do job themselves or actually they don’t like that particular activity so they get someone else to do it. (Find out about other great atricles like these, click on this link.)
Delegation is a positive act. It is an act if used correctly allows a team member to try new skills, to empower them or even used as a succession planning tool.
Outlined below is what makes a process used in the Management Expert Training course. By following the process it will ensure that any task you delegate gets completed. It is also worthwhile using the same process for jobs delegated to you.
1 Define the task. Confirm in your own mind that the task is suitable to be delegated. Does it meet the criteria for delegating?
2 Select the individual or team. What are your reasons for delegating to this person or team? What are they going to get out of it? What are you going to get out of it?
3 Assess the ability and training needs. Is the other person or team of people capable of doing the task? Do they understand what needs to be done? If not, you can't delegate.
4 Explain the reasons. You must explain why the job or responsibility is being delegated. And why it has been delegated to that person or team. Explain its importance and relevance and where it fits in the overall scheme of things.
5 State required results. We must state what is to be achieved and clarify understanding by getting feedback from the other person. We must state how the task will be measured and what results are expected so the end result does not become a lottery.
6 Consider resources required. Discuss and agree what is required to get the job done. Consider people, location, premises, equipment, money, materials, other related activities and services.
7 Agree deadlines. When must the job be finished? Or if an ongoing duty, when are the review dates? When are the reports due? And if the task is complex and has parts or stages, what are the priorities? Methods of checking and controlling must be agreed with the other person. Failing to agree this in advance will cause this monitoring to seem like interference or lack of trust.
8 Support and communicate. Think about who else needs to know what's going on, and inform them. Involve the other person in considering this so they can see beyond the issue at hand. Do not leave the person to inform your own peers of their new responsibility. Warn the person about any awkward matters of politics or protocol. Inform your own boss if the task is important, and of sufficient profile.
9 Feedback on results. It is essential to let the person know how they are doing, and whether they have achieved their aims. If not, you must review with them why things did not go to plan, and deal with the problems. You must absorb the consequences of failure, and pass on the credit for success.
There is also a quick process that can be followed in times of urgency or absence of staff. This can be used when swift action is needed or if the task being delegated is one that is somewhat straightforward but by no means should replace the first process. Not all tasks required for delegation require in depth detail.
In these instances we can use a quick 5 step guide. The 5 Quick steps of good delegation:
1. Identify a suitable person for the task.
2. Prepare the person. Explain the task clearly. Make sure that you are understood. Leave the room in the task description for ingenuity / initiative.
3. Make sure the person has the necessary authority to do the job properly.
4. Keep in touch with the person for support and monitoring progress. Do not get too close. Accept alternative approaches.
5. Praise / Acknowledge a job well done.
James Pope, The Training Expert